Day By Day
by AthenaHolmesArtistGuild
Summary: Dying was supposed to be... permanent. That's a simple fact of life. But Clay seemed to be the exception. He had received a second chance. Or rather, a hand-full of second chances that came with a catch. He was thrown into a battle of wits with a man who doesn't shy away from playing dirty. Not only is Clay's life at stake, but the lives of everyone he loves hang in the balance.
1. Round 1

Day By Day

Round 1

The knife plunged into Clay's chest and his breath caught in his throat. His hand tried to grab at the weapon, but his legs gave out before his fingers could close around the handle.

Shots rang out, but Clay was too weak to turn his head.

Voices muddled together and the room slowly faded to black.


	2. Round 2

Day By Day

Round 2

Clay bolted from a pillow. He looked around frantically, but relaxed once he realized that he was in his room. "He...hello?" His voice sounded hoarse.

The door opened and Apollo's concerned face came into view. "Hey," he said. "You alright?"

Clay nodded slowly. "Ye-yeah… yeah, I'm fine."

Apollo cocked his head to the side. "You sure? You sound pretty disgruntled."

Clay shrugged. "Oh I guess I just had a bad dream."

Apollo furrowed his brow. "Is the launch freaking you out?"

Clay froze. "The... launch?"

"Yeah… the launch... it's in a couple of days." Apollo spoke slowly. Clay was too confused to be annoyed.

"Oh yeah… I forgot about that. Guess I'm still half-asleep." He forced a grin on his face and stood up. "I should probably get to the space station..."

Apollo nodded slowly. No doubt his internal lie-detector was acting up. "I'll call you later okay?"

Clay nodded. "Alright."

He opened the door to his car and drove to a park where he was sure that Apollo wouldn't find him and started dialing a number into his phone. He jammed his thumbs into his eyes in an attempt to make himself start crying.

"This is Yuri Cosmos speaking. How may I help you?"

"H-Hi, Mr. Cosmos." Clay's voice caught in his throat, and he mentally patted himself on the back.

"Terran, you sound upset."

"Yeah… my-my grandmother just passed away and her funerals the same day as the launch. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Director Cosmos replied. "But if you're not at the launch, then the plan-"

"I know Mr. Cosmos and I'm sorry. I wish I could be there but-"

"No no, it's okay. I'll figure something out. You need to go to the funeral."

"Thank you and I'm sorry once again." Clay hung up and shook his head.

 _What the hell am I doing?_

. . .

Clay decided to wait a while before he drove back to his apartment, but Apollo wasn't there when he opened the door.

 _Oh right, he's working today._

He dialed Apollo's number.

"Hey," Apollo sounded concerned. "Everything okay?"

"No," Clay said, sounding as upset as he could manage. "The launch was canceled!"

"Oh my god! What happened?"

"There was a bomb threat, and you know how well bombs and people go together."

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to space."

"That's terrible." Clay could hear the frown in Apollo's voice.

 _God, this lying thing isn't fun at all._

"Are you home?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, I forgot that you were working today."

"Well Trucy's giving me the evil eye, so I'll swing by on my lunch break."

"Sounds great. Bye."

Clay wasn't quite sure what to do while he was alone in the apartment. He was at the space station most of the time so he didn't have much to entertain himself with. There were books. Clay liked books. Most of them were Apollo's, but he had a good taste in literature so none of them could be too terrible...

 _I never realized how much manga he owns._

After reading the entirety of the Death Note series, Clay decided that he'd watch Netflix and try to escape the reality he was bound to.

When noon finally rolled around, Apollo came back home to find Clay lying on the couch, covered in a blanket, and half-asleep.

"Hey, you doin' alright?" Apollo asked.

"I'm feeling pretty crappy." Clay sat up and yawned. Apollo took a seat next to him.

"So do you think they'll reschedule the launch?" He asked.

"I dunno. I sure hope they do."

Apollo seemed to be staring at Clay.

 _No! He's on to me!_

"You don't seem to be very upset about the launch being canceled."

"What are you talking about?" Clay asked, trying to sound shocked.

"It's just whenever you talk about the launch, your nose twitches."

"Now you're using your magical powers against me?!"

"Clay, you and I both know you're hiding something. You might as well tell me now 'cause you know I'll figure it out anyway."

Clay sighed. "Alright fine. So I had this… I want to call it a dream, but it was much too vivid and… and realistic to just be a dream. In it I was stabbed… and I… I died. I was in my space suit and it was obvious that I was at the space station. I don't know if I'm clairvoyant or if that was just a really weird dream, but I had to get out of the launch if I wanted to live." Clay looked over at Apollo who was just sort of blankly staring at Clay.

"So was the launch actually canceled?"

"..."

"Clay?"

"I might have possibly told Director Cosmos that my grandma died-"

"Oh my _god_ Clay!"

"I'm sorry! I feel bad and everything, but I needed an excuse,"

Apollo crossed his arms. It was obvious that he was pissed. "So there wasn't a bomb threat."

"There was, it's just that the government wanted the launch carried out so Director Cosmos decided to fake the launch instead."

"So… how long have you known about it?"

"A few weeks?"

"And you're just now getting this 'vision' of yours?"

"Well when you put it that way, it sounds pretty stupid."

"That's because it is pretty stupid."

Clay sighed, his irritation growing. "Look, have you ever dreamed you were killed?"

Apollo crossed his arms, "no."

"I've had some pretty weird dreams in my life time, but I've never dreamed that I died, either. It's too abnormal to just be my subconscious screwing with me!"

"But it's still a dream."

"Would you rather me ignore it and possibly die?!"

Apollo froze. "N-no! What the hell! How did you come to that conclusion?"

Clay flinched. "S-sorry. That was a bit harsh wasn't it?"

"Just a bit?"

Clay let out an awkward laugh. "By 'this' much." He held him thumb and index finger an inch apart from each other.

Apollo arched an eyebrow. "Oh really?" He said. "'I had a bad dream so I told my boss that my grandmother died.' 'just because you had a bad dream?' 'Well do you want me to die?!' That's more than overreacting 'a little'."

Clay crossed his arms. "I get it. I get it. You think I'm a dumbass."

"I don't think you're a dumbass, I just think you're being really impulsive." He sighed. "Look, how about you just call Director Cosmos and smooth things over?"

"You mean by telling him that I lied about my grandma dying? I can't do that!"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate your honesty..."

"After he gives me a verbal lashing for lying in the first place! Look, Director Cosmos knows for a fact that the person who sent the threat isn't bluffing. If the launch is carried out, a bomb is going to explode. It's better if the launch is canceled."

"Alright, fine. I'm not going to argue with you. It's just going to give me an ulcer."

Clay rolled his eyes, "whatever."

They sat in silence until Apollo had to leave to go back to work.

Clay figured that after Apollo had some time to cool down they'd smooth things over and go back to making jokes about whatever stupid thing happened in the news.

"Hey!" Clay said when Apollo returned from the Anything Agency. "I found this _hilarious_ story on CNN! It was about this-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Apollo grabbed an apple and retreated into his room.

"A-are you sure?" Clay started following his friend, but stopped once the door was slammed in his face.

Clay grit his teeth, "fine. If you want to be an asshole two can play that game!" He picked up all the Death Note manga. "All your Death Note manga? It's mine now."

"I don't care." Apollo called from the other side of the door.

Before stalking off to his room, Clay called, "you're really good at this game."

Clay woke up the next day with a phone call from Director Cosmos.

"Terran, I just wanted to let you know that I managed to cancel the launch." He said.

"...Do you know if it's going to be rescheduled?" There was silence on the other end for a few moments.

"We're unsure of whether or not we'll be able to afford another launch. The government isn't too happy with my decision and probably aren't going to be very forthcoming with any funding."

Clay pressed his lips into a line, trying to fight the growing disappointment in his stomach. "Right, thanks Director." Clay hung up.

It was Saturday and the day was filled with awkward exchanges and the occasional nod.

There was a part of Clay that wanted to apologize for being such an ass, but a larger part was still bathing in self-righteous anger and self-pity.

 _If Apollo was really sorry, he'd have apologized already._

If only Clay could realize the irony of such a statement.

Apollo grabbed another apple and spent the rest of the day in his room. Clay couldn't tell if he was grieving the loss of his Death Note manga, but he took solace in the fact that Apollo was probably hiding behind the closed door to hide the tears he was sobbing into his pillow.

 _That'll show him for being passive aggressive._

Sunday seemed to start the same, but Apollo and Clay were making progress in the whole so-mad-they-gave-each-other-the-silent-treatment fight. They were finally in the same room and saying more than the occasional question with a short answer.

It was around six o'clock when a knock sounded on the front door.

"I'll get it." Apollo said.

Clay was in the kitchen, preparing dinner and was only able to hear Apollo's side of the conversation.

"Detective Fulbright?… No I'm not busy… Y-yeah, come in."

A tall blonde man strode into the apartment. He and Clay's gazes met briefly and the detective offered a large grin that was nervously returned by Clay. Apollo had told him stories of Detective Fulbright. He worked with Prosecutor Blackquill and was obsessed with 'justice' that wasn't of the Apollo variety.

That joke had been shot down before it even had the chance to be uttered.

But despite bearing the description of 'harmless,' Clay couldn't help but get a bad feeling when he looked at the detective. Clay sighed and turned his attention back to slicing tomatoes and chalked it up to paranoia.

Apollo and Fulbright were chatting in the living room. Clay only caught snippets of the conversation, and from that gleamed that they were talking about Blackquill. It didn't seem all that interesting, so Clay started humming along to a song stuck in his head.

"Where's your bathroom?" Fulbright asked, pulling Clay back into reality.

"Oh, uh, down the hall, second door on the left."

Fulbright walked by and Clay poked his head into the living room where he found Apollo slumped over, blood seeping through his t-shirt.

 _What the hell?!_

Clay ran over and hauled Apollo over his shoulder. Before he could bolt out the door, a voice said, "oh no. What happened to Mr. Justice?" The tone was a sort of mock surprise that made Clay's skin crawl.

He took off running, but something hit his leg, making it give way. A numbness spread through Clay's body and his vision was spotted with black.

"You figured it out didn't you, Terran?" Fulbright asked, his voice devoid of any humor.

"Figure... what?" Clay's speech was beginning to slur.

"You figured out who I am."

"N-no… I… I don't know."

"Don't lie. That's why you got the launch canceled."

"No… My grandma… died."

"No she didn't. I checked."

Clay tried to inch away, but a foot was planted on his back, pinning him to the ground. "A fighter to the end I see."

Before Clay could say any more, there was the sound of a gunshot.


	3. Round 3

Day By Day

Round 3

Clay was back in his room. Checking his phone confirmed that it was Friday again.

 _Fulbright killed me and Apollo..._

He bolted out of his bed and threw open the door to his room. Apollo jumped back at the sudden noise. "Oh hi,"

Clay wrapped his friend in a hug.

"Woah… okay. Something wrong?" Apollo asked nervously.

"The launch was canceled." Clay murmured.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday, I didn't want to tell you, but I figured you'd find out eventually."

"That's terrible," Apollo said. "Wish I could say something to make you feel better."

"Oh, it's fine really. I think the launch might be rescheduled, so there's that."

Apollo nodded absentmindedly, then pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Shit... I have to get to work." He stood up and darted out of the door. "I'll talk to you soon okay?"

Clay nodded and waited until he heard the front door close to call Director Cosmos. He used the same excuse, and the same conversation ensued.

"Oh and Director Cosmos?" Clay asked. "Please don't tell anyone about my grandmother. I'd rather that be a private matter."

"Of course." Cosmos and Clay traded their goodbyes and hung up, leaving Clay alone with his thoughts.

 _Fulbright killed me and Apollo. That one dream I had must have actually happened too._

Noon came and went and Apollo stayed at the Agency. Clay decided to read a book without pictures this time.

He was occupied until Apollo collapsed on the couch at six.

"Hey," Clay said. "How was work?"

"I had to clean the toilet."

"Ew?"

"You would not believe how disgusting a toilet can get in just a few days."

Clay shook his head, a small smile on his face.

 _I definitely think I did better this time around._

. . .

Sunday came and went and to Clay's surprise, a knock sounded on the door.

"I'll get it!" He said immediately and ran over to the door.

Fulbright was standing outside, an oblivious look on his face. "Aw, it's just someone trying to sell stuff." Clay said, rolling his eyes. There was another knock.

"They sure sound persistent." Apollo remarked.

"Hello? This is Detective Fulbright!"

Clay swore under his breath as Apollo gave him a strange look. Clay reluctantly opened the door.

"Oh hello! Is Mr. Justice home?"

"...Yes he is."

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"Mr. Justice and I have some things we need to talk about." Clay stepped aside and sat down next to Apollo. Fulbright seemed unfazed.

"What I need to talk to Mr. Justice about isn't supposed to be leaked to the public. So if you'd please-"

"Then maybe you shouldn't deliver it on a Sunday night while Apollo's in his own home." Fulbright frowned.

"Detective, is there any way we could talk about this tomorrow?" Apollo asked.

Fulbright pursed his lips, then turned to leave. Once he was at the door, he pulled out a lighter. Clay's eyes widened as the lighter shifted into a gun. He jumped in front of Apollo as a shot rang out. The bullet hit Clay in the shoulder and he started screaming.

"Clay!" Apollo was at his side in an instant.

"Aw, how noble." Fulbright said, looking down at Clay as he tried to get up. A swift kick sent him collapsing to the ground. Clay could hardly breathe.

Fulbright leveled the gun at the younger man's head.

"No!" Apollo tackled the detective, and hit his head on the table. Clay stumbled to his feet.

 _C'mon! Go get help!_

He ran out the door. Another shot fired and Apollo yelled in surprise. One of their neighbors came outside, an alarmed look on his face.

"Call the police!" Clay yelled. The man tried to walk towards Clay.

"Are you-"

"Go!" Another shot rang out.

"Do-do you want to come inside?" Clay looked back at his apartment. He didn't want to leave Apollo alone with a psychopathic murderer.

 _You'll be no use dead…_

"Y-yeah… thanks." Clay stepped inside and the man disappeared around a corner.

Clay looked through the peephole, ignoring the stabbing pain in his shoulder. Fulbright was looking around and knocked on the door next to Apollo and Clay's apartment.

"Yes… yes thank you." The man hung up, and nervously approached Clay. "Are… you going to be okay?" He asked. Clay awkwardly rubbed his hurt arm, wincing in pain as he did so.

"I… I think so." He said and turned back to the peephole. Fulbright was nowhere to be seen and the door he knocked on was closed. "I need to get my friend. If you see a man with blonde hair and a white suit, close the door and don't open it okay?" The man nodded hesitantly.

"But what about you?" Clay gave him a strained smile.

"I'll be fine." He opened the door and peeked his head out. The coast was clear.

He dashed across the hallway and burst through the door to his apartment. Apollo was crumpled on the floor. Trying to carry his friend on his shoulder only succeeded in sending a shooting pain up his arm.

 _Screw it…_

He grabbed Apollo's arm and started dragging him across the floor. "Sorry buddy." Clay muttered as he moved as quickly as he could to his neighbor's door.

Once inside, the door was slammed and locked.

"Is your friend okay?" The man asked as he helped Apollo into a chair. Clay checked for a pulse.

"He's alive," there was a tiny wound in Apollo's side. It seemed to be the only one.

"I'll get the first aid kit." The man said.

"Thank you." Clay replied.

Apollo's head rolled to one side as his eyes slowly opened. "Clay?" He said weakly, "F-Fulbright..." Apollo looked Clay straight in the eyes. "Why would he do that?"

Clay shook his head. "I dunno."

The man came back with a first aid-kit and a knock sounded on the door before he could sit down.

He looked out the peephole and his face paled. "It's the guy..." He whispered. Clay motioned for him to come back.

"Hello! My name is Detective Fulbright. I need to make sure you're okay!"

"What do we do?!" The man whispered.

"We just have to wait until the police get here." Clay whispered. "I'm sure he'll have to bail by then."

Fulbright finally stopped knocking, and footsteps could be heard walking away from the door.

"So… what's your name?" The man asked.

"Oh, I'm Clay Terran and this is my friend Apollo." Apollo was rifling through the first-aid kit. "How 'bout you?"

"Name's Ness. Ness Whitman." Apollo laughed quietly.

"Like the video game character?"

"My parents are nerds okay?!"

The three men sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being Apollo digging through the kit.

"Do you think it's okay to leave?" Ness asked. Clay shook his head.

"He could be waiting for us to come out. We should just play it safe."

"Why is that guy trying to hurt you?"

"Because he's an asshole." Apollo muttered. "God, what's a guy gotta do to get some bandages?!"

"...We-We don't know." Clay said after a few moments of silence. "He just showed up at our apartment and tried to kill us."

"Ah here they are!" Apollo said, triumphantly pulling out a roll of bandages. "I'm taking off my shirt to put these things on."

"Here, let me help." Clay took the bandages from Apollo's hand. The two just stared at each other for a few moments.

"Well turn around! What do you think I am, a male stripper?" Clay slowly turned around.

 _What's up with him?_

Ness and Clay waited for the all clear. "Alright Clay, you can turn around. Ness you stay where you are." Clay turned around and started wrapping bandages around Apollo's mid-section.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "You seem a little out of it.

"I was shot. How do you _think_ I'm doing?" Ness started turning around. "you stay where you are!" Ness held up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry."

It was another few minutes before the police officers and paramedics arrived. Ness looked out the peephole and opened the door.

"Hello," he said.

"We received a report of gunshots and a wounded man?" The police officer said.

"Well there are two now." The paramedic quickly made his way to Clay and Apollo, and began looking them over.

"Don't touch me!" Apollo said. The paramedic sighed and turned his attention to Clay, who complied.

"This gunshot is rather small..." he remarked. "Do you know where it came from?"

"Yeah, the man who shot us pulled out a lighter and it turned into a small gun."

"I see, if you'll come with me we'll get you to a hospital where they can remove the bullets." The paramedic went to help Apollo, but his hand was batted away.

"I can help myself!" He wobbled slightly when he stood up, and Clay wrapped his good arm around across Apollo's back. "...Thanks."

The paramedic leaned over to Clay. "Does he usually act like this?"

Clay shook his head. "No, I have no idea why he's acting like this."

. . .

Turns out Apollo was acting this way due to 'moderate brain trauma' as the doctor had put it.

Apollo and Clay had been been scheduled to have the bullets removed the next day and were ordered to stay at the hospital until further notice.

There was a knock on the door to Clay's room. "Come in." Geo Terran entered the room with a relieved look on his face. He hugged his son.

"Clay, what happened?!" He asked.

"A guy tried to kill Apollo and me."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Dad."

"How are you doing?"

"Well I was shot. There's not much else to it."

"I'm asking how you're feeling emotionally."

"Dad, I'm okay, really." Clay forced a smile. "With a face like this, do you honestly think I'd lie to you?" Geo, figuring he wasn't going to get much more information, decided to change the subject.

"Then what about Apollo? How's he feeling? Is he remembering everything okay?" Clay shrugged.

"I dunno, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to him yet." Geo looked down at his hands.

"Is there anything you need?" He asked.

"Well other than getting this piece of metal out of me, nothing really." Clay's father nodded slowly, and went back to being silent.

Eventually Clay found himself dozing off.

. . .

The lights in the room had been turned off and the curtains were drawn. Clay figured it was night time, and tried to go back to sleep.

But he felt eyes on him.

"Dad?" He said, looking around. "You still here?" Clay leaned on his elbow and grasped at the figure sitting in a chair next to him. "C'mon you didn't fall asleep too did you?" The figure slumped forward and hit the ground. "Oh shit..." He turned on the lamp, hoping someone had just given him a heavy, human-sized, teddy bear.

The room was bathed in light. The first thing Clay saw was his father on the floor. "Dad?!"

The next was Fulbright standing in a corner.

"What the hell do you want?!" Clay yelled. Fulbright placed a hand over Clay's mouth. "Mmm mmmph!" Clay tried biting at the glove, but felt a gun pressed to his head. He started clawing at the hand over his mouth.

"Bold aren't we?" Clay finally wretched the hand away.

"Why do you want to kill me?"

"You figured out who I am."

 _He's said that before..._

"No I didn't." Clay said. "I don't know who you are."

"What's going on in here!"

 _BANG!_


	4. Round 4

Day By Day

Round 4

Clay woke up in his bed shaking with a mixture of anger and fear.

 _He killed my Dad._

He swore loudly, and Apollo poked his head into the room.

"What happened?" He asked.

Clay hesitated for a split second. "The launch was canceled."

Apollo's face cycled through multiple emotions, sadness, concern, confusion and Clay swore he caught a bit of anger in there.

"And they're just telling you this now?"

"It seems that way." Clay muttered.

"They couldn't give you some kind of warning?"

"There was apparently a bomb threat. They couldn't just ignore it."

Apollo seemed to understand and grabbed his briefcase just outside the door. "Well I gotta get to work. I'll see you soon."

Apollo left and Clay called Cosmos. Same conversation. This was starting to get a bit tedious.

Clay thought of maybe trying to do something productive, but figured that it was useless since he was probably going to lose all the progress he made. So he watched TV.

. . .

"Y'know what we should do?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"We should go to Disneyland for the weekend!"

"...Why?"

"We're in the area, it's the weekend, school hasn't let out for Christmas break yet, it's perfect!"

Apollo stared for a few minutes, but finally shrugged. "Why not? I'm game."

"Woo!" Clay took off and started throwing things into a suitcase.

An hour later they were checking into a hotel.

"So what made you want to go to Disney?" Apollo asked.

"Well uh… I was pretty upset about the whole launch thing and decided that instead of bathing in my self pity, I'd indulge in some childish fun and rampant materialism." Clay shrugged. "I mean, who doesn't love Disneyland?"

"People who hate leg cramps and long wait times," Apollo suggested.

"Shut up. We're going to Disney and you're going to enjoy it!"

Apollo laughed quietly. "Yeah yeah, I gotcha."

. . .

Sunday came earlier than either Clay or Apollo had expected. It didn't take much to convince Apollo to just check out of the hotel and spend the rest of the day at the park.

When they arrived home later that night, they found a note in front of the door to their apartment. Clay picked them up.

"Greetings! I have business to discuss with a Mr. Clay Terran. I swung by, but neither of you were home. I'll check back tomorrow." He read.

"Hm… wonder what he wants to talk about." Apollo said as he trudged back to his room. "Man, there's a part of me that wants to go to bed, but that means work in the morning."

Clay shrugged. "You don't do much at the office right?"

Apollo collapsed on his bed. "Eh… depends on Mr. Wright's mood."

"Then don't tell him how you spent your weekend then."

Apollo buried himself under the covers. "I'll keep that in mind."

Clay walked to his own room and laid on his bed. He tucked his arms under his head.

 _Fulbright wouldn't give up that easily, would he?_

 _Obviously not..._

He tossed and turned for a few hours, his eyes heavy, but his mind refused to stop thinking paranoid thoughts.

At around one in the morning, Clay finally decided to try and do something somewhat productive. He sat down at his desk and looked Bobby Fulbright up.

One of the first results was a news article.

 _Police Detective Reported Missing._

Sure enough the article was about Fulbright. A link was at the bottom of the page with the caption 'For an update on the situation, click the following link.'

Clay clicked on it and found that Fulbright had been found. The article detailed that he claims to have taken an impromptu vacation. A year long vacation. And he turned up just in time to become Blackquill's escort.

 _I smell a fish. And this one's more rotten than usual._

Clay was typing at his computer until he heard movement around him. He pushed himself away from the desk and raced out of the room.

"Oh hey," Apollo said as he brewed a pot of coffee.

"Apollo, I have ground-breaking information to tell you."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Alright, what is it?"

"Okay so… over a year ago Fulbright went missing."

"Really?"

Clay nodded. "Yeah, and after a year he just showed up out of the blue and started being Blackquill's bodyguard... escourt... thing."

Apollo cocked his head to the side. "And?"

"'And'! That's all you have to say? How does someone just decide to take a year-long vacation and tell no one? I'm sure that if either of us were going away that long, we'd tell someone so people don't, I dunno, report us missing!"

"So you think Fulbright isn't who he says he is?"

Clay nodded.

"…Alright, I" ll ask around and see what I can find out."

"Be careful. Okay?"

A small smile formed on Apollo's face. "Since when have I been anything less than careful?"

"Well let's see..."

"Hey, I take offense to that." He took a sip of his coffee. "Well I gotta go." He grabbed his briefcase, and was out the door.

 _So Monday seems to be the new I-survived-the-wrath-of-a-crazy-and-or-fake-detective record. Let's see how much longer I can last._

Clay sighed and looked around for something to do. His gaze fell upon a bookshelf and the thought occurred to him that if he really wanted to, he could read every book on that shelf. If the days kept resetting, he had an unlimited amount of time to do anything. Hell, he could write a book if he wanted to. The thought almost made Clay feel important until he remembered that any progress made would be erased once he died.

Clay decided that all he could do was collapse on the couch and wallow in the futility of his existence.

A few minutes into his existential crisis, there was a knock on the front door.

 _God, what has the world come to where a guy can' t feel like garbage without being interrupted?!_

On the other side of the peephole, Fulbright was standing with his feet planted in the middle of the welcome mat.

Clay looked around frantically.

 _There has to be a way out of here._

The balcony opened up to a barrier that could easily be hopped. Clay did just that and took off running to his car. He wasn't sure if Fulbright had seen him, but he wasn't going to let that hinder his progress.

 _Hopefully I won't be arrested for displaying suspicious behavior…_

Clay's heart was pounding as he tore out of the apartment complex and into the throng of traffic. Explaining everything to Apollo was going to be a blast.

. . .

Finally the Anything Agency came into view, and Clay burst in through the front door.

"Welcome to the Wright- oh hello Clay!" Trucy said, a big smile on her face. "What brings you here today?"

"I'd like to hear your explanation too," Apollo said.

"Well, Fulbright knocked on my door."

He raised an eyebrow. "What did he want?"

Clay shrugged. "I was too busy jumping a fence to ask."

Apollo smacked a palm into his forehead. "Why."

"I don't know..." Clay said. "I felt uncomfortable is all."

"What's wrong with Detective Fulbright? I think he's nice." Trucy said, and Clay explained his suspicions to her.

"So Fulbright's probably going to track me down and drag me to the precinct."

Trucy's eyes widened. "We can't have that happen!"

The door to the Agency opened and they all froze.

"Oh hey Apollo. Who do you have here, a new client?"

Apollo shook his head. "This is my friend Clay. Clay this is Athena."

Clay's eyes widened. "You're the one who threw a cop at Apollo!"

Athena started nervously running her fingers through her massive ponytail. "Ha ha… yeah, that's me."

"Ah it's alright. I think I'm currently wanted by a cop so I could use your skills."

Athena gave Clay a strange look. "Why's that?"

"I jumped a fence and ran away from Fulbright."

"He's uh… not usually like this." Apollo started, but Clay shook his head.

"Runnin' from the cops changes you. I don't expect you to understand."

A small smile crept onto Athena's face. "That's a little dramatic don'tcha think?"

"I suppose." He said.

"But drama's a part of show business!" Trucy chimed in. "Like the time I locked Apollo in an Iron Maiden!"

Apollo shuddered. "Please don't remind me of that. Those are some mental scars that have yet to fade."

There was a loud knock on the door and Clay froze.

"Okay I gotta hide." He ran through an open door and found himself in the fabled bathroom.

 _The toilet from the prophecy must be in here._

It wasn't as bad as Clay expected, but he didn't have any time to marvel at the porcelain menace before Apollo spoke,

"Oh hello Detective Fulbright."

 _Gotta hide. Gotta hide…_

The only viable hiding place was under the sink. Clay opened the cabinet doors and climbed in. It was a tight squeeze and a few pipes were jabbing into his side, but it was a hiding place all the same.

Clay couldn't hear the conversation from his spot under the sink, but there also weren't any gunshots so everything seemed to be going okay.

After a minute, there was a knock on the door and Apollo said, "I'm comin' in." The door opened and Clay could hear footsteps. "where did you go?" The door to the cabinet brushed against Apollo's leg as Clay tumbled out. "How did you manage to fit in there?"

"Pure willpower. One can do anything if they just believe."

"...Okay then." Apollo said, helping Clay to his feet.

"So what did Fulbright want?"

"Asked if any of us knew where you were."

"I imagine someone else did the talking?"

"Yeah, Trucy. She's much better at the whole 'lying' thing." Apollo ran a hand through his hair. "We should probably go back out there." The two made their way back out into the common room. There was someone else there now.

"Oh, hi Mr. Wright." Apollo said awkwardly. "This is my friend Clay. He uh… stopped by for a visit."

Phoenix extended a hand to Clay, who shook it. "Nice to meet you Clay. What brings you to the Agency?"

"Just wanted to say 'hi' to Apollo I guess." Clay replied.

"So why were you hiding out in the bathroom?"

"…Duty called and I answered. Y'know how it is."

 _He's going to think you're insane._

"I'm sure Apollo can vouch for me."

Apollo's head snapped up. "What?"

"No, uh, it's fine... Really." Phoenix seemed to study Clay for a few moments. "Say, you're one of the astronauts on the HAT 2 launch. Aren't you?"

Clay rubbed the back of his neck. "Ha ha… yeah, I was until it was canceled."

Phoenix frowned.

"Did you not hear about that?"

"Daddy's a little slow when it comes to news." Trucy said, a broad smile on his face. "Don't take it personally."

"Was that a recent development?" Phoenix asked and Clay nodded.

"Yeah, I only learned about it last Friday. It was pretty unexpected."

"That's a shame." Phoenix said. "Do you have any idea if the launch is going to be rescheduled?"

"I dunno. I hope so." Clay said. "But funding's been stretched thin, so one can only cross their fingers and hope for the best."

Phoenix nodded. "Well it was nice meeting you Clay." He turned and walked back into his office.

"So… Fulbright said something about you and Apollo living in the same apartment." Athena said, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Yeah," Clay said.

"So... when's the wedding?"

"When I can afford a ring. Have you seen how expensive they are nowadays!"

Athena laughed.

"It's highway robbery I'm tellin' ya."

Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Maybe if you stopped ordering so much takeout, you'd have more money."

"You need to make a Kickstarter." Athena said, causing Clay's eyes to widen.

"You, are my new best friend." He said. "Next to Apollo of course."

"The title will be 'HELP!-' gotta make sure it's in all caps so people don't overlook it- 'engagement ring too expensive!' People will have to help out."

"Knowing the types of people who frequent Kickstarter, that just might work." Apollo said.

Trucy stared with awe. "I need to make one to afford more posters for my magic show!"

"I thought you already had a poster design?"

"Well yeah, but I still have to get them printed out and Daddy already gave me a ten year advance on my allowance last year." Trucy grabbed Clay's arm. "You'll help me make one. Right?" Everyone's eyes were on Clay. He could feel the weight of his decision. This was life or death.

 _Oh right. I'll probably die before I can make the page so it doesn't matter._

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Yay! I knew I could count on you!"

Clay couldn't help but smile. "It's no problem really."

"Well c'mon!"

"What."

"Let's make it now!" Trucy dragged Clay to a laptop where she sat him down. When she wasn't looking, Clay sent out a help signal that was replied with a shake of the head. Clay made sure to note that they were not going to receive _any_ Christmas presents.

So much code. So much code, and color theory, and PNGs. It wasn't until the sun went down that Clay emerged from the room with a completed Kickstarter page. He felt like he was going to die.

 _No Clay. You need to be strong._

Trucy bounced excitedly.

"It looks amazing! Thank you Clay!"

Clay forced a smile. "I hope you get enough donations."

Trucy nodded. "Of course I will!"

The Agency was closing down by then so while Phoenix locked up, Clay loaded Apollo's bike into the back of his car.

"Hey, how about we head down to a bar and get some drinks?" Apollo asked once they were both in the car.

"Don't you have to work tomorrow?" Clay asked.

"Oh yeah, you're right. I guess we can just pick something up at a store."

Half an hour later, they arrived home to another note left by Fulbright:

 _ **I checked back again and saw you weren't here. I know you got my other note.**_

 _ **-Bobby Fulbright**_

Clay shoved it into his pocket just as Apollo caught up.

They entered the apartment and both cracked open a beer and sat down on the couch.

"Remember that one time we got trashed in high school?"

Apollo groaned. "How could I forget." He muttered. "I was grounded for two months."

"And my Dad made me call Rah'bel and apologize for bringing booze to your house."

"Oh my god really?"

Clay laughed. "Yeah, my Dad was all, 'you need to apologize for breaking Rah'bel's trust.'" Apollo folded his arms behind his head.

"I did _not_ hear about that."

"Oh my god she was freaking out. She was all 'I expected better from you' and all that stuff." Apollo laughed.

"She said the same thing to me!"

"I mean, you'd think that someone who works in a bar and walks around with a cigarette dangling from her mouth-"

"An unlit cigarette." Apollo corrected.

Clay took a swig from his beer. "An _unlit_ cigarette dangling from her mouth would be fine with you drinking some booze, but _no!_ "

"Ugh, she was pissed. I felt so bad when she started saying 'what if you had gotten alcohol poisioning? You could've gotten seriously hurt!' God that was the worst day of my life."

"And here we are laughing about it six years later." Clay said and held up his can. "Cheers." They both toasted.

They sat drinking their beers and making small talk until suddenly Apollo said, "Sorry about Trucy. She can be a little pushy sometimes." His speech was beginning to slur.

"It's okay." Clay replied with a wave of his hand and a swig from his third can. "I just said yes 'cause I thought I'd be dead before I could make it." He turned his head to see Apollo staring at him.

"What?"

"Dead. D… E… dead!"

"Why?"

Clay waved his hand once again. Whether to dismiss the point or just a mannerism his drunken mind felt repeating was unknown.

"Aww, who knows?"

Apollo took the can out of Clay's hand.

"I think you've had enough of this."

"Don't you have work tomorrow?"

Apollo's eyes widened. "Aw shit I do!" He put the can down as he stifled a yawn.

"Why did you want to grab booze anyway?" Clay asked, but Apollo just shrugged.

"I dunno. Guess I felt like it was a good apology… thing." He stretched across Clay's lap. "Hope you don't mind."

Clay just shrugged as he picked up the can Apollo had stolen from him.

"That's your last one."

Clay smirked.

"Well I can't reach another one can I?"

"My plan has suc...ceed..." Apollo fell asleep before he could finish his sentence.

. . .

Clay woke up to an alarm and Apollo still stretched across his lap. A headache had formed and he was in major need of an aspirin and a glass of water.

"Ugh… hey Apollo," he poked Apollo's cheek. "Wake up."

Apollo rolled over and fell off the couch. "Ow." He pulled out his phone and turned the alarm off. "I'd better start getting ready."

"I'm gonna hang out with you at the office again. Is that okay?"

Apollo shrugged, and made his way towards the bathroom.

 _Fulbright's probably going to swing by today so we need to get out of here ASAP._

While Apollo was showering, Clay threw their belongings into two suitcases and tried to ignore the growing headache.

 _Now I'm gonna need a reason for us to leave…_

"Clay what are you doing?" Apollo was staring at him.

"...We're going on a field trip!"

Apollo brushed past him and started fixing his hair in the mirror. "Does this have to do with that crap you said last night about dying?"

Clay froze. "Did I say that?"

"Yeah, care to elaborate?"

"Not really, but considering the fact that you're not going to accept that answer, I guess I am." He thought about how to describe what was happening. "I... don't really know how to explain it. I die, and then I wake up in my bed the Friday before the Launch."

Apollo knit his eyebrows together. "And you expect me to believe that."

"Yes."

Apollo pressed his lips into a straight line. "How many time have you… y'know."

"Let me think… I've died like... three times?"

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"When I did, you didn't believe me, and we both died mad at each other."

Apollo's face softened and he wrapped Clay in a hug.

"You still think I'm insane."

"A little bit."

"Then can you just humor me?"

Apollo sighed. "It's probably not healthy, but sure. Where are we going?"

"A hotel. Finish getting ready then we're leaving."

"You gotta wait 'til you can drive."

"We'll take a bus then. Just hurry up!"

Apollo quickly finished doing his hair then threw the gel into the suitcase.

They caught a bus and checked into a hotel. Apollo had to head off to work so Clay was left alone in the room.

"Hopefully Fulbright doesn't find us here." Clay muttered and exited the hotel. He was going to meet Apollo at the Agency after he got a room.

Clay lifted his hand to the doorknob when it flew open.

"I got a donation!" Trucy said, smiling the biggest smile Clay had ever seen.

"Really, how much?"

"Fifteen dollars!"

"That's great!" He entered to find Apollo and Athena whispering amongst themselves. "Hey," they both jumped at the sound of Clay's voice. "What're you talking about?"

 _Probably me._

Apollo opened his mouth to speak when Athena said, "oh nothing."

 _I don't need Apollo's superpowers to see that you're lying._

"So you're staying at a hotel?" Athena said.

Clay had to stop himself from narrowing his eyes. "Yeah, and your point is?"

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have a quick therapy session?"

"Why would I want that? I'm perfectly fine."

"I'm just sensing some hesitation from you." Athena gave him a pitying look and offered him a 'reassuring' smile. "It'll only take a couple minutes."

"Fine, but I'm not crazy."

Athena pressed a button on her necklace and a holographic screen appeared. Clay was too upset to marvel at how cool the back of his mind thought it was.

" _ **Commencing psychological analysis."**_ A little voice said.

"Alright Clay, why did you get a hotel room? Don't you have a perfectly fine apartment?"

"We do, it's just… I don't trust Fulbright. He's been visiting our house every day and leaving notes, and I don't think he's who he says he is."

"Why's that?"

"He went missing for a year and conveniently turned up just in time to be Blackquill's bodyguard."

Athena looked down at the screen and was swiping it back and forth. "During your statement about not trusting Fulbright, I sensed an abnormal amount of anger. Why's that?"

Clay hesitated for a moment. "...I'm sure Apollo's already told you everything."

Apollo shrank down.

"But… I've died, and… and come back to life."

Trucy's eyes widened. "You mean like a zombie?"

"No, not really. What I mean is I was killed and when I died, I was taken back to the Friday morning before."

Athena looked down at the screen once again. "So you're angry at Fulbright because..."

"Fulbright's been the one to kill me almost every single time."

"You're kidding!" Apollo and Athena said at the same time.

"Then who else killed you?" Athena asked.

"I don't know, it was dark and I couldn't see anything."

"If you've died before, why haven't you told anyone?"

"He tried to tell me." Apollo said. "But I didn't believe him."

"Polly!" Trucy said. "You're supposed to believe in your friends!" She crossed her arms.

"Why are you blaming me! I believed Clay this time!"

"Barely." Clay muttered.

"Hey... Shut up."

There was a knock on the door and Clay stood up quickly.

"Well it was nice talking to you about my mental stability, but I need to split." Clay scurried to the bathroom where he climbed under the sink.

"Oh Detective Fulbright! What brings you here again?" Apollo asked loudly. There was silence. "You want to talk to me?" Clay couldn't hear anything after that. Either Apollo lowered his voice, or they moved out of earshot. Both possibilities made him uneasy as he hugged his knees to his chest and his heartbeat filled the empty silence.

There were no frantic shouts or signs that a struggle was ensuing, so he stayed put.

"Alright thank you Detective, I'll keep an eye out for him." The sound of a door opening and closing was heard and then footsteps approached the bathroom.

Clay climbed out and was met with Apollo standing in the doorway.

"Fulbright talked to you?"

Apollo nodded.

"How'd you do?"

"Pretty good I think. My heart didn't burst out of my chest so I'll classify that as a success."

Both men stepped back into the main area when a shot rang out. Clay fell to the ground as shouts surrounded him.


	5. Round 5

Day By Day

Round 5

Clay was back in his bed. Again. And he would have to go through the next few days. Again.

 _But at least I can try to beat my high-score!_

 _That's… morbidly fun._

He pulled open the door and was face-to-face with Apollo.

"You seem annoyed." Apollo said.

"The launch was canceled and I need to stress eat." He pulled out a tub of ice cream and a big spoon.

"Did you just find out?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, pretty shitty of them. Told me I shouldn't even bother coming in."

"Oh, so you're just gonna eat ice cream all day?"

Clay nodded as he scooped a big spoonful into his mouth. "I'll work it off."

Apollo smirked as he grabbed his briefcase. "Well try not to get diabetes."

"I'll punch diabetes in the face." Clay muttered and stabbed the spoon into the carton.

Once Apollo left, Clay called Director Cosmos and told him the same old story, and carried out the same old conversation.

It had gotten to the point that the first few days were getting boring if Clay didn't do something interesting. Like thinking about why he kept dying.

 _Fulbright always finds a way to sneak up on me. So I just need to figure out how to sneak up on him._

 _The only time he ever does something that could possibly considered illegal is right before I die, so I just need to figure out how to survive an encounter with him._

There were many plans that Clay thought of ranging from jumping the fence again, or hiding a knife. But none of them seemed better than the one Clay finally settled on.

. . .

It was a decent plan. Or at least Clay thought so.

Fulbright started visiting the apartment on Sunday. For the plan to work, Clay needed Fulbright to visit a few times to be able to report him.

So Clay and Apollo hung out away from the apartment on Sunday and Clay hopped the fence on Monday.

On Tuesday, the plan was ready to be put into action. The night before, he had contacted the police department and told the receptionist his concerns.

"I'll transfer you to Detective Skye. She can help you." The woman said.

"Thank you." Clay was put on hold for a few minutes before Ema answered.

"Ema Skye speaking."

"Hi Ms. Skye. My name is Clay Terran and recently Detective Bobby Fulbright has been visiting my apartment when I wasn't there. He also visited my roommate's work place and has asked about me. He has made no effort to contact me by phone or mail and I've been wondering if you're aware of this." Ema swore under her breath.

"That little worm's supposed to be patrolling! Thanks for telling me."

"Um, Ms. Skye?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there any way you could have an officer come over tomorrow morning and sort of keep a lookout for Fulbright."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you for your help."

"No problem." The two exchanged their goodbyes and Clay smirked after he hung up.

 _And thus the plan was set into motion._

The next morning Clay bid Apollo farewell and called Ema.

"Hey," she said. "I'm outside your building and-"

"How'd you figure out where I live?"

"It's a simple matter of looking up your file. Anyway, I'm on the lookout for Fulbright and if he shows up I'll follow him. Sound good?"

"Great, I'll call if Fulbright knocks so you'll know if you need to intervene."

"Sounds good."

Clay kicked back and read a book while he waited for Fulbright. It took a while, but finally there was a knock on the door. Ema's number was dialed and the door was opened.

"Oh, hello detective." Clay said.

"Hello, you're Clay Terran correct?"

"I am he."

"Do you have a moment to talk about the HAT 2 Launch?"

"What's there to talk about? It was canceled and now I'm stuck here with nothing to do."

"Well concerning the bomb threat that was made, I have a lead that may reveal the bomber's identity."

Clay raised an eyebrow. "Really? Director Cosmos said it was the same person who sabotaged the HAT 1 Launch 7 years ago. You're saying you know who it is?"

"Yes, may I come in?"

Clay turned his head to look into the living room. "Well the apartment's not in the best shape, is there some way we could reschedule this meeting. Maybe when you've told someone else on the police force about the 'lead' you've procured."

"And how do you know I haven't told anyone else Mr. Terran?"

"I imagine that the supposed bomber would've been apprehended and the launch wouldn't still be canceled. Am I wrong?"

Fulbright reached into his back pocket and pulled out a lighter. It transformed into a gun and Clay swore under his breath.

"Why do you have a gun?!" A few moments later Ema burst through the door, her own gun drawn.

"What the hell's goin' on?!"

Fulbright froze and slowly turned around. "Ah, Ms. Skye."

"Cut the shit Fulbright, I want answers." Fulbright still had his gun pointed at Clay. "I called backup; they'll be here any min-" The gun discharged, and a bullet hit Clay in the leg. He collapsed to the ground in a screaming heap. His right leg felt like it was on fire.

Ema pointed her gun at Fulbright. "I will shoot. Put the gun down." He looked at Ema, the hand holding the gun unwavering. "Put. The gun. Down." Before Fulbright could shoot, Ema fired a shot straight into his chest.

Just then more police officers barged into the apartment, their guns at the ready. Ema started barking orders, then knelt down next to Clay.

"Hey, hey, you're okay..."

"My damn leg's been shot! I'm not okay!"

Ema flinched. "Oh… you're right." She looked over to another officer. "Hey you! Yes you who else would I be pointing at! When's the ambulance getting here?!"

"They're on their way."

"Well tell them to hurry up!" Ema looked over at Clay. "They're on th-"

"I heard." Clay tried to move his leg. "Ow… shit." Ema helped him lean against a wall. "Can you call my roommate?"

"What's their name?"

"Apollo Justice?"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, old friend of mi- oh my _god_ that hurts!" Clay tried to apply pressure to the wound. "Do you have an ice pack?"

"No, sorry."

"Dammit. Anyway, you probably need his number." Clay rattled it off.

"Alright, I'll get to it." She brought her phone to her ear. "Hey… you know a guy named Clay Terran?… No he wasn't arrested."

Clay scowled.

"He was shot."

Apollo's frantic shouting was heard.

"Sure," Clay was handed the phone.

"Hey dood."

"What the hell happened?!"

"I was shot."

"Wh- ugh I know that! _Who_ shot you!?"

"Fulbright."

"Where are you!?"

"Home."

"I'll be right there!" Apollo hung up, and Clay sighed.

"Didn't even say goodbye. So rude..."

"So he's on his way?"

"Yup," he handed the phone back to Ema, who slipped it into her pocket. Clay grasped at his leg, thoroughly hating everything about life.

"How slow can an ambulance be?" He muttered through grit teeth.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." Ema said.

A few minutes later help arrived in the form of a tall woman. She knelt by Clay and examined his leg.

"Hm… there's a tiny bullet… didn't seem to hit any arteries or bone. Shouldn't be too hard to remove." She helped Clay up. "Can you support any weight on your leg?" A sharp pain caused Clay to swear under his breath.

"I'll take that as a no. I'll get a gurney." She turned and left as Clay collapsed on the couch.

"What do you mean I can't come in!? I live here goddammit!"

"Looks like Apollo's here." Ema said and pushed through the other officers.

Finally able to look around, Clay noticed two men in the same uniform as the woman, lifting Fulbright onto a gurney.

Apollo rushed towards Clay, his face full of panic.

"Are you okay?!"

Clay nodded.

"Can you walk?"

"Not really. They're getting a gurney." Apollo watched as Fulbright was carried away.

"Why would he try to kill you?"

"Dunno. He said he had a lead on the bomb threat, but when I started asking questions, he pulled out a gun."

Apollo pressed an index finger into his forehead. "I wonder why he decided to talk to you about the launch..."

"Apollo, I'd love to debate the motives of a crazy guy, but right now I'm really not in the mood."

"Oh! Uh, do you want me to get you some ice or something?" The paramedics had finally returned.

"I think they'll fix me up."

Apollo nodded. "Right. You're sure you're okay?"

"Positive." Clay was hauled onto a gurney and transported to the hospital where his father and Apollo grilled him for information.

"Who is this guy?" Geo Terran asked.

"He's a detective who works for the precinct."

"Have you met him before?"

Clay hesitated. "No. Never."

Apollo flinched and his hand went to his wrist.

 _Don't bring it up... Don't bring it up._

There was a knock on the door and a doctor strode in. Clay let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Hello Mr. Terran." He looked down at his clipboard. "I see you were shot in the leg."

Clay nodded.

"We can schedule you for surgery in a couple of days. In the mean time, you'll need to stay in bed. You may only move if it is absolutely necessary."

"How long will I have to stay after the surgery?"

"If all goes well, we'll keep you overnight after the surgery, then send you home in the morning. Do you have anymore questions?"

"I don't think so."

"Then I'll be off."

. . .

"Knock knock," Ema entered the room an hour or so later. Apollo and Geo had left.

"Who's there?"

"I brought some news."

"'I brought some news' who?"

"Fulbright's been arrested, and is currently under 24 hour watch while he's in intensive care."

"He's in a different hospital right?"

"Yeah."

"Great."

"So where's your Dad? I thought he was here a while ago."

"He and Apollo are getting food.

"Ah," Ema leaned against the door frame.

"So… do you have any idea why Fulbright wanted to kill me?"

She shrugged. "Not a clue. He hasn't woken up yet, and even if he did, we'd have to wait until he was in police custody before we could question him.

"Oh right. I guess that makes sense." He was silent for a few minutes. "How long has Fulbright been a detective?"

"Longer than me that's for sure. So I'd have to say… seven or eight years? Why?"

"I'm just curious."

Ema tried to read Clay's expression, but to no avail. She instead poked her head out of the room. "Looks like your Dad and Apollo are back. Guess I'll be going now." Clay waved as Ema slipped past Apollo and Geo and out of the room.

"Who was that?" Geo asked.

"That's Ema. She's the one who practically saved my life."

"Ah, I see. Seems like a nice person."

"From what I hear she's a bit of a grump."

Geo smiled. "Isn't everyone?"

"You have a point there."

. . .

A news reporter visited Clay the next day.

"Hello Mr. Terran. My name's Manny Annchore. Do you have a moment to speak?"

"I'm trapped in a bed. I don't have anything but time."

"Excellent. I'd just like to ask you about the events that happened yesterday."

Clay raised an eyebrow. "I haven't even been checked out of the hospital and you want to talk to me?"

"Well… I don't want to lose the scoop..."

"Manny- can I call you Manny?"

Manny nodded.

"Awesome. Well Manny, since you were here first, I'll give you the scoop if you leave me alone."

"Okay, but would it be alright if I asked you about the HAT 2 launch?"

 _Do I really care about the launch anymore?_

"Sure, ask me anything." For the next hour or so, Clay answered questions he had been asked numerous times before. To be honest, he was at least grateful that he was telling this to someone completely new. It added a bit of spice to the redundant events that have been the last few days of his life.

"Well here's my card. You can contact me whenever you get the chance." Clay nodded and placed the card on the table next to him.

The reporter left and Clay was by himself again. He looked at the wall clock.

 _9:48 A.M._

He sighed and wished his father and Apollo would hurry up and get over here so he'd at least have someone to talk to.

About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door and Apollo's smiling face greeted Clay.

"Hey," he said "Sorry I was late, I had to check in at the office to make sure everything hadn't exploded."

"Oh it's fine. While you were gone, this news guy was talkin' to me."

"Really, what about?"

"Fulbright shooting me."

"He couldn't wait until you were discharged?"

"That's what I told him! He looked so sad when I said that too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, then he started askin' me about the launch, and I figured he had to go back to work with a scoop, so I humored him."

"Sounds like a pleasant guy," Apollo said, his voice edged with sarcasm.

"Oh, he's actually not that bad when you get to talkin' to him. He's pretty nice."

Apollo crossed his arms and looked out the window. "I would've kicked him to the curb to be honest."

"That's because you have _zero_ people skills whatsoever."

Apollo smirked and playfully shoved Clay. "Hey, just because I'm not Mr. Charismatic doesn't mean I'm completely inept."

"Aw you're right. Instead of screaming and running away you at least back away slowly and discreetly."

"That method is genius and you know it."

"Sure, it's genius at making people think you're insane."

. . .

The next day Clay was taken in for surgery.

"Is there any danger associated with removing a bullet?" Clay asked the nurse.

"There are very rare cases where the patient contracts lead poisoning, but that has almost never happened." She replied.

"But it's happened?"

"I suppose it has."

 _Oh no…_

In the operating room, a surgeon placed a mask over Clay's face, making him feel groggy until he finally passed out.


	6. Round 6

Day By Day

Round 6

And then he was in his room.

"Oh for god's sake!" Clay exclaimed.

"Is everything okay?"

"The launch was canceled!"

"Oh my god really?"

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nah. You need to get to work right?"

Apollo checked his phone. "Aw crap I do. Talk to you later okay?"

"Yeah sure."

Director Cosmos was called. Now he had to make a plan to survive.

 _Fulbright keeps putting me in the hospital. I'm guessing I died of lead poisoning because of course I did. Either I need to learn how to remove a bullet, or stay out of the hospital._

He figured that the path he went down when he called Ema seemed to get him pretty far. It just needed a little tweaking.

"You want to do what? Ema asked.

"Well I'm friends with my neighbor. I'll hang out with him and when Fulbright visits, you ask him what he's doin' there."

"Alright. I don't get why you're so paranoid."

"When a cop is visiting your house and askin' around about you and not coming directly to you, I imagine you'd be nervous too."

"Point taken." Ema said. "Well I'll be there tomorrow so don't worry."

"Thanks Ms. Skye."

"No problem."

. . .

"Hello?"

"Hi, Ness right?"

Ness nodded slowly. "Yeah?"

"My name's Clay. I live across the way?"

"Oh yeah. You live with your…?"

"Roommate, Apollo."

"Yeah, so what brings you here Clay?"

"Well, we've never gotten to know each other even though we live not that far away from each other. I figured it'd be a good idea to talk."

"Oh… a-alright. Come on in."

Clay grinned.

"You can sit here. Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thanks." Both men sat down.

"So what do you do for a living?" Clay asked.

"Oh uh, I'm currently in med school."

"How many years do you have left?"

"Three."

Clay laughed awkwardly. "So you've been at it a while."

Ness nodded. "What do you do?"

"I'm an astronaut," the other man's eyes widened.

"You're joking!"

"No, I was one of the astronauts in the HAT 2 launch."

A small smile formed on Ness' face. "Then what are you doing living in this dump?"

"I'm still new to GYAXA. I have to work my way up to earn the big bucks, but I'm comfortable where I am, so it's fine."

Ness sat back. "God, you must be a genius then." Clay shrugged.

"I own a clever shirt or two."

After chatting for a few more minutes, there was a commotion outside. Two muffled voices were heard one male, on female.

"Must be another feuding couple." Clay said.

"You think? They sound really angry." Ness stood up. "I'm gonna see what's going on." Before Clay could protest, the other man was looking through the peephole.

"Who is it?" Clay asked, despite knowing the answer.

"They look like detectives."

"Detective couple?"

"I don't think so… Man I didn't think detectives hung out around here." Clay pretended to be equally confused.

"You're right. I wonder if something happened."

"They're right outside your door. Do you think they wanted to talk to you?"

Clay shook his head. "Nah, I haven't done anything."

"You better not have. I don't want to be arrested for harboring a crim-" a shot rang out and both men looked at each other. Ness peered out the peephole once again, and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh god..."

"What happened?" He stepped aside to allow Clay to look outside.

Fulbright was slumped on the ground, and Ema was grasping her arm. Clay threw the door open.

"Are you okay?!" Clay exclaimed.

Ema looked up. "Yeah… I'm fine."

Ness ran out. "I'll call the police!" He pulled out his cellphone.

"Well hurry up!" Ema shouted.

"Here, let me help you inside." Clay guided Ema to a chair. Once she was comfortable, he closed and locked the door, not wanting Fulbright to know where they were.

"What happened?" Clay asked.

"Well, I confronted Fulbright and asked him why he was trying to visit you and he started spouting some bull about how he was just patrolling the area. I told him that I knew that wasn't what he was doing we argued a bit about how I knew that, then he pulled out this lighter that turned into a gun. He shot me first as you could probably see, but I managed to shoot him before he could finish me off. I think I knocked him out."

"Is he still alive?"

"I dunno. You were outside before I could check."

Ness came back into the living room. "I called 911. They should be here soon."

"They better hurry up. My arm's killing me."

"I hope you don't mean that literally." Ness murmured.

. . .

Clay sighed as he tried to get comfortable in the hospital chairs.

 _I got Ema shot just so I could stay out of the hospital. How am I supposed to feel about that?_

He was grappling between regretful or blasé when he saw Apollo enter the hospital.

"Oh hey!" Clay waved frantically, trying to grab Apollo's attention. Apollo sat down next to his friend.

"So, what happened?" Apollo asked as he surveyed the waiting room.

"I was hanging out with our neighbor across from us."

"Ness?"

"You know 'im?"

Apollo shrugged. "We've exchange the occasional 'hello'."

"Cool, so anyway I was hanging out with him when we heard Ema and Fulbright arguing. Then there were gunshots. Ness called the police while I went outside."

"Why would you do that? Isn't there the chance you'd meet a gun-toting psychopath?"

"I looked out the peephole and Fulbright was on the ground. It seemed like the immediate danger had passed."

"So Ness called the police and then I imagine you ended up here?"

"Yep," Clay folded his arms behind his head. "I'm waiting for the doctor to allow visitors."

"Guess I'll wait with you."

It was getting late when they decided to go home and check back in the morning.

"So Fulbright shot Ema?" Apollo asked. Clay nodded. "But… why? What were they doing at our complex?" Clay swallowed.

"I dunno. Really makes you think about what's goin' on under our noses."

Apollo stared at Clay for a moment. "You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Without a doubt?"

"Without a doubt."

 _Now what did he say my tick was?_

"You have no idea what Ema was doing here?"

" _ **You're nose twitches."**_

Clay looked to the side, trying to discreetly hide his nose. "I do not."

Apollo stared for a few moments, but finally sighed. "Alright then." He gave Clay a smile that said, _'I'm on to you asshole,'_ then said, "we'd better get to bed right?"

"Definitely," Clay walked to his room then shut the door.

He collapsed on his bed, not even bothering to get under the covers.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.

"What?" Clay groaned as Apollo stepped into the room.

"What really happened earlier today."

"I don't know. Haven't I already said this?"

Apollo crossed his arms. "Yeah, and I don't believe you."

"Well that sounds like a personal problem." Clay rolled over.

"I'm not leaving until you explain."

 _He'll just leave after a while..._

Twenty minutes passed,

Then forty.

"Good god you're persistent." Clay said.

"And I'm gonna stay here."

 _I don't have to give him the whole truth as long as I don't lie..._

And so Clay explained the events of the past few days.

"So why did you visit Ness? You said you called Ema as a sort of safety measure, but then you took the extra measure of of going to Ness' apartment. That seems like overkill."

"If shit hit the fan, I didn't want to be in the cross-hairs."

"So you let Ema take the bullet."

"Look, I'm not proud of it. I just had a feeling something bad was going to happen, and I was right."

"Why would you think that though? Fulbright hasn't ever had a history of being violent."

"I honestly don't know. I just go with my gut instinct. If I had a better explanation, I'd give it to you."

Apollo narrowed his eyes.

 _Please, please, please-_

"Fine." Apollo stood up and left the room.

"Turn off the light!" The room went dark. "Domo." Apollo gave him a thumbs up.

"Iiyo."

"Weeb."

 _Flick._

The light was back on.

"I was kidding!"

. . .

The next morning Clay's phone rang.

"Um, hello?"

"Terran."

"Oh, hi Director Cosmos. Is something wrong?"

"I need you to come in this morning."

"O-okay… I'll see you in a bit." Clay hung up and pulled on a clean set of clothes.

 _What could Director Cosmos possibly want?_

He drove to the space station and tentatively knocked on the door to his superior's office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Cosmos nodded.

"Sit down son,"

Clay complied.

"I need you to tell me something."

"Y-yes sir?"

"Yesterday I got an interesting call from your father. He asked to speak to you."

 _Oh no…_

"I told him that you weren't here because your grandmother had died. Your father told me that no one in your family had died recently. Care to tell me how that is?"

"Director Cosmos, I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"I don't want to hear your apology. I want you to tell me why you told me that."

"The… that bomb threat was really getting to me and I-I wasn't thinking straight and it was the first thing that came to mind, and I'm sorry."

"You should have told me your concerns Terran."

Clay sighed. "I thought about that. I really did, but I wasn't sure how the government would react. They weren't willing to cancel the launch when you told them your concerns so I was unsure how they'd react if I tried anything. So I came up with something that would cancel the launch." Cosmos rested his chin on his hands and looked down.

"Now you understand that lying about this has serious consequences."

"Please don't fire me! I've wanted this all my life. Please."

"I'm not going to fire you, son. But you are to have to be suspended."

Clay looked up. "For how long?"

"That will be determined later. Now if you would excuse me, I have a meeting I have to attend."

"H-have a nice day Director Cosmos."

"You too, Terran."

Clay exited the office and leaned against the wall and sunk to the ground.

 _Why can't anything go my way?_

"Hey Space Boy," Aura said. "You seem upset."

"Oh, it's nothing, really."

"Just contemplating life?"

"Yeah, that and this wall looked like it needed a friend."

"Hmph, don't we all?"

"So what brings you here?" Clay asked.

Aura shrugged. "Just saw you here and decided to talk to you."

"Aren't I special?"

"You're friend's a lawyer right?"

"Yeah… did you get into some kinda trouble?"

"Very funny."

"I wasn't trying-"

"It's my brother. He was convicted of murder a long time ago and he was given the death sentence."

"No way..."

"And his execution date is soon. I couldn't get any other lawyers to appeal the case, but I remembered your little friend is a defense attorney. He can help me out right?"

"I'll see what I can do." Clay said.

"Thanks."

. . .

"Oh hey, you're back." Clay said as he opened the door to their apartment.

"Yes I am. Where were you?"

"Just talkin' to Director Cosmos."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "About..."

"He said I didn't need to come in for a while since not much is happening at the station."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "He couldn't tell you that over the phone?"

"Well I was in the area and I decided to check in so y'know. Anyway I talked to Aura."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you know how Prosecutor Blackquill's on death row right?"

Apollo nodded slowly.

"Well Aura asked if you could possibly be his defense attorney or a re-trial."

"There's a lot that goes into requesting a retrial. I mean before we do anything, Blackquill has to agree to me being his defense attorney."

"Why wouldn't he agree to that? If he didn't commit the crime then there shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm just saying, Blackquill and I aren't on the best of terms and if I'm the only lawyer calling for a retrial and he doesn't want me as his attorney, there's nothing I can do."

"But you'll still try right?"

"I'll see what I can do. I'll need to see if the case can be retried first."

"Then let's go!"

"Now?"

"Yeah, Aura said Prosecutor Blackquill's execution date is coming up so we can't dawdle."

"Alright fine. Let's go."

The two headed to Clay's car and began driving towards the detention center.

"Now you have evidence that a retrial is required correct?"

"Noooo… I don't."

"Then there's nothing I can do!" Apollo exclaimed.

"What?"

"The verdict wasn't appealed and you have nothing to show that there's reasonable doubt of Blackquill's guilt."

"Well… we can still-"

"No we can't. If we go to the judge, he'll say what I just said."

"Then we'll investigate."

"Clay..."

"I'm serious."

"Why are you so interested in this case all of a sudden?"

"I told you! Aura said she believes Blackquill is innocent."

"Does she have any-"

"No she doesn't." Clay sighed. "I'm gonna have to turn around now, aren't I?"

"Yeah."

He groaned and pulled a quick U-turn.

"I need to at least call her." Clay pulled out his phone.

"You keep your eyes on the road. I'll call her." Apollo grabbed Clay's cell phone.

"Do you know the passcode?"

"Mm hm." Apollo opened the contacts page, found Aura's name and handed the phone to Clay.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey Aura! It's me."

"Ah, Space Boy. Any news about Simon's defense?"

"A-about that… Apollo says he can't request a retrial if there isn't any evidence that casts doubt on Prosecutor Blackquill's guilt." There was silence. "Aura?"

"I see. Thanks Clay," she hung up.

"How'd it go?" Apollo asked.

"She took it surprisingly well I think." Clay drove back to their apartment. Once inside, Apollo received a phone call.

"Hello?"

...

"No, I just got home."

...

"Okay, I'm switching the TV on now." Apollo turned to the local news channel.

 _"A demand has not yet been made by the person who took the hostages."_

"Wait... 'hostages'?" Clay turned his attention to the TV broadcast.

The headline said, "HOSTAGES TAKEN AT GYAXA SPACE CENTER"

"No way..." Apollo said. He turned his attention back to the phone call. "Do they have any idea who the captor is?"

...

"Of course you wouldn't know anymore than I do. I'll call you back later, Clay and I are gonna head down there and see if we can do anything." He hung up.

"What can we do?"

"There has to be something." Apollo said.

"Apollo, we're just regular people! How can we do anything?"

"Well, you _work_ there number one, and we can't just watch from the sidelines. It doesn't seem right."

"Clay sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's see what we can do."

The two drove to the Space Center. There were a half-dozen news vans, and three times as many reporters. Police officers were roping off the area and trying to shoo away the microphones shoved into their faces.

Apollo and Clay tried to enter, but one officer stopped them. "You two! This is a restricted area."

"He works here," Apollo pointed at Clay.

The officer eyed Clay.

"What's your name?"

"Clay Terran."

Just then a robot rolled out of the Space Center.

"Clonco?" Clay stepped forward, but was held back by the officer.

Clonco looked around, then started rolling towards Apollo and Clay.

"You two. Come here." The robot spoke with Aura's voice. Both men stepped forward. "I'm ready to make my demands." The officer narrowed his eyes. "All I want is a retrial of the murder of Metis Cykes."

 _Really? She did all this for that?_

 _Oh who am I kidding? This is Aura we're talkin' about._

"You have an hour before I kill he first hostage."

The reporters started yelling questions over each other until Aura said.

"Ask me any more questions, and I take half an hour off the time limit." Everything was dead silent.

The officer looked over at Apollo and Clay. "You two better get over to the courthouse. Fast."

The younger men nodded and climbed into Clay's car.

"That was Aura..." Apollo said.

"Seems like it." Clay cranked the engine and sped down the road.

"Hey, slow down!" Apollo yelled. "I'd prefer it if we got to the courtroom in one piece."

"Relax we-" There was a crash as a car slammed into the driver side door. The airbags activated just as Clay's car tumbled off the road.


	7. Round 7

Day by Day

Round 7

Clay was back in his room. Honestly, all of this was getting a bit redundant. He wished he could just hurry up and figure out how to not die.

 _Wait… does dying of old age count?_

 _...Nah, that would be too much torture._

Apollo opened the door. "Oh hey, you're awake."

"Yes I am." He stood up and pretended to check his phone. "Oh I have a missed call." Clay put his phone to his ear and pretended to listen. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!"

"What? What's happening?"

"The launch was canceled!"

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I was. Ugh, this sucks!"

"Are you still gonna go in?"

"What's the point?"

Apollo frowned. "Well… okay then. I'll be at the Agency if you need me." He picked up his briefcase and was out the door.

Then it was just Clay.

 _First I'll call Dad, then Director Cosmos._

"Hello?"

"Daaad!" Clay whined.

"What's wrong?" Geo asked, his voice laced with concern.

"The launch was canceled!"

"Oh Clay, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know."

"Is Apollo there?"

"He left for work."

"I can come over if you want."

"No, you have to work, don't you?"

"It'll be no skin off my teeth."

"No, you need the money, I'll talk to Apollo while he's on his lunch break."

"Are you sure?"

Clay said he was sure. "Well okay then, I love you."

"Love you too, bye."

 _Next call_

It went just as it always did.

Clay sat down on the couch and began to mull over his options.

 _It seems like Aura is going to hold up the station if I talk to her so I need to avoid going in. And it seems like having Ema come to the complex results in someone getting hurt._

 _Fulbright's gonna follow me to the end of the earth once he learns he learns of the launch getting canceled. If I stay here, both Apollo and I die. If I call Ema, either I die in the hospital or she gets hurt. If I stay at the Agency I'm killed._

 _It seems like there's only one thing to do._

Clay found a pen and a sheet of paper. He began writing.

 _Apollo,_

 _Once you get home you probably wondered 'where's my devilishly handsome roommate?' The answer is simple. I'm gonna leave for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but it shouldn't be long. A few weeks tops._

 _I know you're cursing me for being the biggest dumb ass in the world, but I swear it's for a good reason. But sadly, I can't explain it._

 _I'll write soon,_

 _Clay_

 _P.S. Don't trust Fulbright. He's really dangerous._

Clay put the note on the dining room table where he was sure Apollo was going to read it. He turned towards the door, but felt the note was incomplete.

 _P.P.S. It wasn't anything you did, I promise._

Satisfied with his note, Clay threw some items in a bag, and left for his car.

. . .

First, Clay emptied his bank account. Using his debit card would just leave a paper trail.

After withdrawing all his money, Clay started searching for a hotel. There was a little motel on the other side of the state. It seemed clean enough and the building looked nice so he checked in with a fake name.

"And how long do you plan to stay?"

"I… don't really know. Probably a week or two."

"Okay, I hope you enjoy your stay."

The room was okay. The beds weren't very comfortable, the the place had a refrigerator and a stove so it met his needs.

 _Looks like I don't have to eat out every day. Nice._

Clay figured he might as well do some shopping while we wasn't hungry and asked for directions to the local grocery store.

While browsing the shelves of the store, his phone rang. It was Apollo.

"Where are you?"

"Hello to you too."

"Where. Are. You."

"I'm staying at a hotel."

"Where?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Clay I swear to god, if you don't tell me where you are I'm going to send the police out to find you."

"You can't do that. You have a note from me saying I'm leaving and I'm going to be coming back. They're not going to go looking for me."

"I'm going to call regardless unless you tell me where you are so I can get you."

"Okay, then I'm on the other side of the state."

"Why?!"

"It's a really long and complicated story."

"Well I have plenty of time to listen."

"You probably won't believe me."

"Clay, just tell me the goddamn story!"

"Okay, okay, fine!" Clay explained the situation he was in up to this point.

"And that's why you told me not to trust Fulbright..."

"Yeah, he's… pretty ruthless."

"That's… insane."

"Y'know, I'm kinda surprised that you're taking this so well. Usually you think I'm insane and have Athena test my mental stability."

"Well, you ran away, so something's making you feel threatened."

"I guess," a woman pushed past Clay. He was taking up the whole isle. "Look, I gotta go. Talk to you later."

"What are you doing?"

"Grocery shopping."

"Ah, I see." The two exchanged their goodbyes and Clay hung up.

. . .

Everything was fine for a few days. Clay stayed in his room, and made food when he got hungry, but on the third day, Clay awoke to his phone ringing.

Rah'bel was calling.

"Hello?" All he could hear was sobbing. "Rah'bel, what's wrong?"

"Apollo, he-he's-" Her voice broke into sobs.

"What about Apollo!?" There was a sinking feeling in Clay's stomach.

"Clay," a new voice said.

"Dad?"

"Apollo… Apollo passed away." Rah'bel was still wailing in the background.

"What?"

"I'm sorry..." Tears slid down Clay's cheeks as violent sobs wracked his body.

"H-how?"

"We don't know."

"I'm heading down right now." Before his dad could say anything else, Clay hung up and grabbed his suitcase.

"I'd like to check out now," he said. The receptionist looked surprise.

"But you've only-"

"Something came up."

"O-okay," Clay paid the woman and sped off.

He drove as fast as he could, blaring his horn at anyone who held up traffic.

It took a few hours to get back to Rah'bel's house. When he knocked on the door, Geo answered. He looked tired, the lines in his face seemed deeper and his eyes were ringed with dark circles.

Rah'bel was sitting in the living room. She was much worse off. She was still in her work outfit, her mascara streaked down her puffy face. It didn't seem like she had ever stopped crying.

Clay walked up the them and Rah'bel looked up.

"Clay..." She wrapped him in a tight hug, almost suffocating him. "He's gone." Geo joined the hug and they all stood there, silent.

There was a knock on the door.

"I-I'll get it..." Geo muttered.

Rah'bel let go of Clay and walked to the kitchen. She pulled a few paper towels from the roll and wiped her face off.

"Rah'bel," Clay started. "What happened?"

Rah'bel opened her mouth, but before she could respond, a shot rang out. Both Rah'bel and Clay called out to Geo and ran to the front door.

Fulbright was standing at the door, the lighter-gun still in his hand. Geo was on the ground, there was a small hole in the middle of his forehead.

"What the hell!?" Rah'bel screamed.

 _Bam!_

She fell to the ground.

There wasn't anywhere for Clay to run. He just stood there and stared at the corpses of his friends.

"Why are you-"

 _Bam._


	8. Round 8

Day by Day

Round 8

Clay shot out of bed, and threw open the door to his bedroom. Apollo jumped back in surprise.

"We're going on an adventure!" Clay had him by the shoulders.

"What?"

"We, are going on an adventure."

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired of living the simple life of an everyday man."

"You're an astronaut."

"But alas, I long to free myself from this burden you and I call an apartment." Apollo frowned.

"What did you do?" Clay stared, mouth agape.

"You offend me."

"I'm serious."

"Oh, well… there's this cool motel and I thought we could check it out?" Apollo furrowed his brow.

"You seem nervous."

"Why do you say that?"

"Your nose twitches."

"Oh really?"

Apollo frowned. "But you seem to already know that, huh?"

Clay swallowed, then tried to look confused. "Why would you think that?"

Apollo opened his mouth to respond while checking his phone and swore.

"We'll talk about this later. Don't run away."

"If I was going to run away I would be gone by now."

"...Sure," Apollo left and Clay made the necessary calls, then sighed.

 _Apollo probably thinks I'm insane. Great…_

 _I need to think of a plan to get him to leave… But he won't believe any lies I try to tell him._

Clay realized what he had to do and sighed.

. . .

Lunch rolled around and Apollo opened the door to the apartment.

"I feel like I'm a kid again but not in a good way," Clay remarked.

"Good," Apollo sat across from Clay. "Now spill the beans."

"...Alright," Clay took a deep breath. "So I have this thing where every time I die I come back to life, and Fulbright's trying to kill me, and I tried to run away but then, you died and I don't want you to die so please c'mon." Apollo gave Clay a strange look, then sighed.

"You're insane."

"I swear I'm not."

"Then how did I 'die'?"

"I dunno. I died before I could find out."

"I'm not going to indulge your delusions."

"C'mon, I'm telling you that you're gonna die and you're just gonna ignore it?"

"Yes, I have to work."

"I'm going to punch you."

"I've been told I have that affect-" Clay slugged Apollo's right temple, and he fell to the ground like a sack of sand. Clay didn't even feel bad about it.

Apollo was strapped into the passenger seat of Clay's car.

 _Now I just have to hope he won't thrash about violently when he wakes up._

He shook that thought out of his head and pulled out his phone.

"Hello Mr. Wright?"

"Who is this?" Phoenix asked.

"My name's Clay Terran, I'm Apollo's roommate."

"What's wrong?"

"Apollo got sick, and I thought I should tell you."

"Okay, thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome." Clay hung up and started driving.

Clay had been driving for a few hours before Apollo woke up.

"You bastard."

"I said I was going to punch you."

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!"

"When have I not made good on my promises?"

Apollo crossed his arms and sighed. "How close were you to stabbing me while I was asleep?"

"Why would I do that? The whole reason we're checking into a hotel is so we don't die."

"How are you so nonchalant?"

Clay shrugged. "I guess that's what happens when you die like, a million times."

"You're not like, I dunno, emotionally scarred or something?"

"I don't think so, I mean, I guess it's a little jarring the first couple of times, but it's not that bad."

"I'd never be able to live with… dying. I feel like that's an oxymoron."

"Probably."

"I don't know how you're still sane. I mean, knowing you could die at any moment."

"I try not to think about it."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Apollo asked, "so what all's happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when you wake up after… y'know. What's happened in each of those… time periods?"

"Well I died."

"Duh."

"Well you've died in some of them."

"You said something about that."

"Fulbright killed you."

"Every time?"

"Er, there was this one time we got in a car wreck, but I don't know if you died." Apollo sank lower in his seat.

"Fulbright kills us huh? Who woulda thunk it?"

"Well, technically I've never met the guy."

"Then just take my word for it."

"Can do."

. . .

Clay's car beeped at him an hour or so later. "Huh, I guess I need gas."

"How far are we from the hotel?" Apollo asked.

"Not too far I think." Clay stepped out. It was dark and the gas station was illuminated with bright lights. He walked into the station. "Can I have twenty dollars in gas for pump number…" He looked out the window. "7?"

"Sure," the clerk pushed some buttons on their console and handed Clay a receipt.

"Thanks," Clay pulled out the pump and stuck it in his car.

"Hey," He looked to see a knife pointed at him.

 _Shit._

"Give me all your money."

"I have a passenger in my car. He'll call the police."

"I don't care, give me your money."

"I don't have any cash on me."

"You're lyin'."

"I'm really not."

 _He's going to kill me…_

"I'm gonna say it again. Give me all your money."

"And I'll tell you one more time I don't have anything!"

The man lunged, the knife hitting Clay in the stomach. He grabbed Clay's wallet and threw him to the ground. Apollo got out of the car.

"Hey!" He went to run after the man, but noticed Clay. "Oh my god."

Clay smiled as Apollo knelt next to him. "I think it's my time."

"Don't say that," Apollo propped his friend up.

"I'm gonna come back."

"But what about me?! You're leaving me here!"

"Aw, c'mon-" Clay coughed. "Don't be so selfish."

"I don't care if I'm being selfish! You're not gonna die on me!" Apollo was tearing up. "Please."

"I's going to be okay."

"No, it's not!"

"You're being dramatic." Apollo wrapped Clay in a hug.

"You're not leaving me."

"C'mon Apollo, your clothes are covered in blood." Clay could feel his consciousness fade as his eyes grew heavier.

"Clay," Apollo shook him. "Clay!"

No response.

"Please don't die..."


	9. Round 9

Day by Day

Round 9

Clay bolted out of bed with tears in his eyes.

 _We need to get out of here._

And they did just that. He got Apollo in the car and they took off. Clay made the calls needed to make while Apollo was passed out.

"What the hell are you doing? I need to get to work!" Apollo yelled when he woke up.

"I told Mr. Wright you were sick."

"Why?"

"Because we're staying at a motel."

"Why?!"

"Because Fulbright's gonna kill us if we don't."

"What does Fulbright have to do with any of this?"

"He's a psychopath!"

"The only psychopath here is you, Clay."

"Alright look, I've died like… I've lost count but take my word that it's a lot."

"What do you mean you died?"

"Exactly what I said. I've died a bunch and Fulbright's killed me almost every time."

"Proof. I need proof."

"I don't have any. You'll just have to believe me."

"You couldn't have died. You just had a stupid dream."

"Apollo, would I be acting like this if I just had a bad dream?"

No response. "Apollo?"

"Then how? How are you here right now?"

"I dunno."

"C'mon, you have to have a better answer than that."

"I don't."

"You could've left me back home."

"I tried that. You get killed."

"By Fulbright?"

"Yes."

Apollo pushed his bangs back nervously. "Why does he care so much?"

"I got the launch canceled."

"I thought that was your dream."

Clay pressed his lips into a straight line. "It is, but I die if the launch is carried out, and I'm not too keen on that outcome."

"Why does Fulbright care whether or not the launch is canceled?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet, I just know he wants to kill me."

Apollo leaned back in his seat. He was silent for a few minutes. Most likely mulling over what he'd been told. "So Fulbright wants to kill us huh? Who woulda thunk it."

Clay couldn't help but smile. "You've said that before."

"What?"

"Last time I took you with me you said that exact phrase."

"You've tried this before and failed?"

"Okay no, I punched you in the head in the afternoon. Not in the morning. There's still a chance the outcome will be different."

"So this is what you've been doing? Dying and trying to slightly alter the way you do things?"

"Pretty much. Sometimes I try to do something completely different if the route I'm going down is definitely not going to work."

"This is really freaking me out."

"It… probably should."

The car was silent for a few minutes until Apollo asked, "so what are we gonna do once we're there?"

"Lie low. If Fulbright can't find us, he can't kill us."

"What about our jobs?"

"Well I'm not doing anything at the space center and I imagine Mr. Wright will let you take a vacation."

"It's not a vacation if I'm running for my life."

"Then tell him you're running for life! He'd have to give you time off then."

Apollo sighed. "Now you and I both know I can't say that."

"Wow, you need to get better at making excuses to justify your behavior."

"You would be an expert in that."

Clay slammed his hand into the steering wheel. "I will pull this car over!"

"I call it like I see it."

Clay's car beeped at him and he pulled into a gas station.

"So, why is Fulbright after you?" Apollo asked once Clay was back in the car.

"He said that I found out who he is, but I haven't figured out what he meant by that."

Apollo pressed his index finger into his forehead. "I can't think of anything either. Have you tried talking to him?"

Clay burst out laughing. "Apollo, we're dealing with a murderous psychopath. I imagine he'd kill me the second I approached him."

"Not if you go to the police station."

"Hm, I'll have to try that if I die again."

"And now you're weirding me out."

"Am I?" Clay asked.

"Uh, yeah. It worries me that you can talk about dying so casually."

"We've been over this. I've grown numb to it."

"I still don't understand how you could have grown numb to dying."

Clay shrugged. "It's a gradual process. You die over and over again, and it just loses it's impact. It's like seeing a scary movie a bunch of times. Eventually you become desensitized to it."

"But you can't feel absolutely nothing right?"

"Fulbright killed my Dad one point. That hurt a lot. And then there was the time someone mugged me and stabbed me and I ended up dying right in front of you."

"You're shitting me."

"Nope. But when it's just me dying, all I really feel is annoyance."

" **Now arriving at Moe Tell's Inn."** Clay's phone said.

"That's such a stupid name." Apollo muttered.

"Well it's probably the owner's name. Wha'cha gonna do?"

Apollo shrugged, and the two walked into the inn.

"Hello! Welcome to Moe Tell's Inn. Room for two?"

Clay nodded.

"Sign here please." Clay wrote down a fake name. "And how long do you plan to stay here?"

"Probably a few weeks." The receptionist knit her eyebrows together.

"Alright then, here's your room key. Please enjoy your stay."

"Thanks." Clay had a different room this time. He and Apollo made their way to the room and unpacked their bags.

"Aw, you packed my hair gel. How thoughtful of you."

"I try my best."

Apollo walked around the room. "Y'know this place isn't too bad."

"What did you expect?" Clay asked.

"Some seedy motel where you buy drugs or bang a prostitute."

"Now do I look like the type to buy cocaine and hookers?"

"Well..."

"Love you too."

Both clay and Apollo were getting hungry, but Clay was too nervous to leave the room.

"Well then I'm leaving with out you." Apollo called out. "I'll just have to learn how to drive..." He grabbed Clay's keys from the table.

"Don't you dare touch my baby."

"Then maybe you should feed me." Apollo was twirling the key ring around his finger. "I'm getting closer to the door... Look at me! I'm almost-"

Clay sighed and stood up. "I'm only doing this because you forced me too."

"Well now you know how it feels to be punched in the head."

"You're still hung up on that?"

"It happened _three hours_ ago!"

"And now you're still following me around because you want some pesky food."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Clay and Apollo ate lunch before they went grocery shopping. Once they were back in their motel room, Clay collapsed on his bed.

"I'm tired." He said.

"Then sleep." Apollo muttered as he put the groceries away.

"Promise you won't run away?"

"I can't drive. How could I run away?"

"You could steal my car."

"God I was joking. You know I can barely stand riding in a car, let alone driving one."

"Alright then, carry on."

. . .

It was dark when he woke up.

 _Why'd Apollo let me sleep for so long?_

He looked around and only saw an empty bed. "Apollo?"

No response.

He turned on the lamp. The sheets were in disarray. Apollo must have slept in it at some point.

And then he noticed the note.

 _Mr. Terran,_

 _I have someone very important to you. If you wish to see him alive, I suggest you come to the warehouse across the street. If you call the police, I won't hesitate to kill him._

The note was unsigned, but Clay didn't need a signature to figure out who wrote the note.

 _Guess I have no choice…_

Clay placed his hand on the door knob and took a deep breath.

The door opened silently, revealing a brightly lit corridor.

 _How did Fulbright grab Apollo? Wouldn't the receptionist-_

She was dead behind the counter. A contorted look of sheer terror plastered on her face. Her neck was bruised a dark purple.

"Holy shit..." Clay's heart was pounding in his ears and his thoughts were racing through his head.

 _I need to get to the warehouse. Apollo can't die too._

Out of habit, Clay checked his phone. It was two in the morning. How long had Fulbright been holding Apollo hostage? Was it too late?

Clay broke into a run.

 _C'mon, hurry up!_

His fingers finally wrapped around the door knob of the warehouse entrance. Clay put all of his weight into opening the door.

It was too dark to see anything. Gathering all of his courage, Clay called out, "Hello? Anyone there?" His voice bounced off the walls and faded to silence.

There was no response.

"Are you seriously doing this?" Clay's hands were shaking as he pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight.

The warehouse was empty except for a door on the far wall.

With echoing steps, Clay made his way to the door. A feeling of dread crept up his spine as his hand grasped for the doorknob.

 _Apollo has to be on the other side… Just open the door and get him back._

Fulbright and Apollo were indeed on the other side. The former was staring at Clay, and the latter was tied up, his face bloody and bruised. Clay wasn't even sure Apollo was conscious.

"Ah, Mr. Terran, you finally join us."

"What did you to Apollo?"

"Oh I just roughed him up a little. Isn't that right Mr. Justice?"

There was no response.

"I said, isn't that right Mr. Justice." Fulbright delivered a swift kick to his ribs, causing the younger man to cry out in pain.

" _Stop it._ You're hurting him!"Clay cried out.

Fulbright's face morphed into one of mock concern. "Oh, I didn't realize! In that case I'll have to stop now, won't I?"

"I would prefer it if you did."

Fulbright picked Apollo up by his bangs. "Hear that Mr. Justice? Looks like you get to take a break." Apollo was dropped to the ground with a thud. He folded himself into a ball and tucked his chin into his chest. His breathing was ragged and uneven. Clay hoped Apollo's lungs weren't damaged.

"Why won't you leave us alone?"

"Aw, telling you would ruin the mystery. Wouldn't it Terran?"

"I'd much prefer an explanation. I've never been the one for mysteries, personally."

Fulbright grabbed Clay by the shoulder and pulled him closer. "I know you figured out who I am. That's why you got the launch cancelled."

"I don't-"

Fulbright kneed Clay in the stomach. Apollo started screaming through his gag, his eyes wide.

"Don't lie to me!"

"Please… just leave us alone." Clay was on the ground. Fulbright placed a sneakered foot square on his chest.

"Until you're dead, neither you, nor Mr. Justice will ever be safe." Fulbright started applying pressure.

"Then why drag Apollo into this?! He hasn't done anything to you."

"And you'd be right. Maybe I'm doing it because I'm a terrible person or maybe I know that you care about Mr. Justice. But you'll never know the real reason."

Clay was finding it difficult to breath.

Apollo was trying to inch closer. Fulbright seemed to notice this and took his foot of of Clay's chest, and delivered a swift kick to Apollo's face. There was the sound of a crack. Blood was pouring from the now unconscious man's nose.

"If you're going to kill us, why do you have to torture us as well? Haven't you done enough already?"

Fulbright laughed. "Mr. Terran, you don't seem to get it. I'm showing you what happens when you try to run away. I'll track you down to the ends of the world." Fulbright planted his foot firmly on Clay's chest.

 _I need to figure out how he tracked us down…_

So he asked.

"Now why would I tell you that?"

"Final request?"

"Do I really seem like the kind of person who would grant a final wish?"

Clay coughed. It hurt a lot. "I can dream can't I?"

"Why would I do a favor for someone who's caused me so much trouble? I had to take time off, and then I had to track you down, and I had to pay for gas, and you're asking for a favor?"

"...Uh huh."

Fulbright lifted his foot and brought it down on Clay's chest. There was the sound of cracking ribs, as he screamed.

Fulbright waited until Clay was done to call for backup. He was untying his shoes while he spoke. "There was an altercation between Mr. Justice and Mr. Terran."

Clay tried to call out- say something that would alert the caller to his presence, but he couldn't. All of the air in his lungs was slowly being replaced with blood.

All he could do was watch as Fulbright put Apollo's shoes back on his feet.

"Yes Mr. Justice has been stabbed, and Mr. Terran is unconscious. I don't know if he's alive." Fulbright listened to the person on the other line. "Yes. Good. I'll be right here." Fulbright hung up and pulled out a knife.

The only sound was Clay's faint gurgling as Fulbright made his way over to Apollo.

He swiftly stabbed the younger man in the throat.

Apollo started twitching as the life slowly drained out of him. He was untied and Fulbright hid the rope in his coat.

He strolled towards Clay and placed the knife in his hand. "I'm just going to borrow your fingerprints if that's alright." Clay couldn't breath. He just stared as Fulbright turned to walk out.

He gave a little wave. "Goodbye, Mr. Terran."

And then the door closed.


	10. Round 10

Day By Day

Round 10

 _I have to get out of here!_

Clay bolted out of his bed, but froze.

 _I don't know how Fulbright's tracking us down… Running won't do anything._

He was going to have to try a different angle.

So Clay and Apollo stayed away from the apartment until Monday. Clay ran out of his room, startling Apollo.

"ApolloFulbright'stryingtokillmeandIdon'tknowwhattodo!"

Apollo furrowed his brow. "What? Why would he do that?"

"He thinks that I figured out who he is. Whatever that means."

"Clay, you're not making any sense."

"I know, and that's what's frustrating me the most. I've never met the guy and yet he's trying to get me killed."

"When did he start targeting you?"

"When I got the launch canceled."

"I thought the-"

"Yes it is! But there was a bomb threat and I don't like bombs!"

Apollo gave Clay a startled look. "Okay okay, god. You need to go to the police."

"But I have no proof."

"Well you can at least try."

"They're not going to believe me."

Apollo threw his hands in the air. "Then I don't know what to tell you." He picked up his briefcase. "I have to go to work. I'll check into this there."

"No you won't." Clay muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said you won't. You're just going to go running to Athena and complain about how crazy I am!"

Apollo rubbed his temples. "Never mind then." He left and Clay was alone.

 _Okay I just need to get out of here first._

He drove to the park where he made his first call to Director Cosmos, and was hit with a wave of nostalgia.

 _So if I avoid Fulbright, he's going to drag Apollo into this… but if I stay where I am, he'll kill me anyway._

 _It seems like it would be extremely detrimental to Fulbright if I figured out who he really is, so that should be what I focus on._

 _C'mon Terran, what did Director Cosmos tell you about the launch?_

" **A bomb threat? But a random person can't just waltz into a launch site!"**

" **You'd be right, but this isn't just some random person."**

" **Sir, what do you mean?"**

" **This person also caused the HAT-1 Incident 7 years ago."**

Clay's eyes widened and he stepped on the gas.

"Director Cosmos!"

Cosmos looked up from the papers he had been signing. "Terran, what are you doing here?"

"I think I figured out who made the bomb threats!"

"And how did you manage that?"

"A detective by the name of Bobby Fulbright has been trying to kill me ever since I got the launch canceled."

Cosmos rested his chin on his hands. "And you think this Detective Fulbright is doing this because he made the bomb threats."

"It doesn't make sense any other way."

"We'll have to go to the police about this..." Cosmos stood up. "Quickly. There may be hope for this launch after all."

The two rushed down the hallway. They ran into Aura who smirked at them.

"Wow, Director Cosmos. You're not even riding your segway. Must be important."

"Incredibly." Clay said. "We figured out who made the bomb threat. They're the person who was responsible for the HAT-1 incident."

Aura's ears pricked up. "Do tell." She fell into stride with the two other men.

"We think it's Fulbright."

"That dope of a detective? I'm not even completely sure he can operate that gun on his belt, but I'll bite." She turned to Clonco. "Tell Ponco she's in charge."

"Okay Miss Aura!" The robot took off down the hallway.

"We can take my car." Aura said. "I know the way to the police station like the back of my hand."

"We should probably-" Clay was cut off by Aura's glare.

"We're taking my car. That's final."

"Okay… okay."

Good god did Aura drive like a maniac, running through yellow lights and barely slowing down for stop signs.

 _Apollo would have a heart attack if he was here…w_ _ait._

Clay pulled out his phone.

 _ **You're still at the Agency right?**_

 **Yeah.**

 _ **Don't leave.**_

 **Why?**

 _ **Fulbr**_

A car slammed into the passenger side door. Clay expected that he'd die, but surprisingly, the car just flipped over to its side.

"God dammit!" Aura yelled. The driver side door was pinned to the ground. "Clay, get out there and see what's going on."

Clay was suspended in the air by his seat belt. He unbuckled it and went tumbling into the other window.

"Director, are you alright?" Aura was shaking Cosmos, who had passed out. "Hurry up Clay!"

"I'm trying!" Clay pushed the passenger door open, but jumped back in at the sound of a gunshot.

"It's Fulbright."

"Of course it is!" Aura swore under her breath as she pulled out a gun.

"Why do you have this?"

"A girl needs some protection. Now get out there and get him to leave us alone."

Clay nodded and climbed out of the seat once more, pointed the gun once he could see Fulbright. He hid behind Aura's car.

 _I have to get to the police station._

"What's going on?" Someone yelled from behind a car that hadn't been flipped over.

"See that blond guy over there? He's trying to kill me. Get the police now."

The woman nodded and pulled out her phone. "Hello? I'd like to report a shooting at..."

 _Alright the police are coming._

"Oh Mr. Terran!" Fulbright called out.

Clay swallowed. "What?"

"I bet you think you can escape!"

"Not particularly." Clay's phone buzzed. It was Aura.

 **Shoot him!**

Clay took a deep breath and peeked his head around the car. Fulbright wasn't even trying to conceal himself.

 _He doesn't think I can do it._

 _Prove him wrong. Now!_

With a speed Clay didn't know he had, he picked up his gun and shot.

It missed its mark and it hit the headlight of Fulbright's car.

"Why don't you try again?"

 _He's trying to make you mad…_

Clay took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He could do this.

 _I can do this._

Bang.

Right in Fulbright's shoulder. He screamed as he went down.

Clay took off running.

 _He's not gonna catch me, he's not gonna-_

A bullet buried itself in his arm. Clay's steps faltered as he grabbed it with his good hand.

 _Gotta hide._

An alleyway came into view and he threw all of his weight to the right.

 _I have to keep Fulbright here until the police show up._

Clay peeked his head around the corner. Fulbright had his back turned, his hand gripping his shoulder. Clay had a clear shot.

He took a deep breath and aimed the gun. Once he was ready he pulled the trigger and a shot rang out.

Fulbright turned around and looked at the trashcan to the right of him. It had a smoking hole in it.

Clay hid against the alley wall and sighed.

 _Why can't I be a better shot?_

When he stood up straight, there was a red stain on the wall and Clay was reminded of the bullet in his arm.

 _If I leave it in, I'm going to die._

From what he remembered Fulbright had the smallest gun in existence. The wound wouldn't be big enough for Clay to just pull it out, but it probably wouldn't go too deep.

Clay peeked around the corner again. The coast is clear.

 _Here goes nothing._

With a deep breath, Clay began feeling around his arm for the bullet wound. It took a while for his fingers to brush against a spot that sent a sharp pain shooting through his arm. He poked the spot and felt the bullet move.

 _Alright Clay, just get in there and pull it out. If you take too long, the pain's going to set in…_

Clay's breathing was unsteady as he silently counted to three. His fingers dug into the wound, while his legs buckled. He leaned against the wall and bit the sleeve of his shirt to keep him from screaming. The feeling of his flesh tearing sent tears rolling down his face.

The bullet slipped out of his grip.

 _C'mon!_

His thumb and forefinger pinched the tiny piece of metal and pulled it out.

Rolling the bullet around in his blood-slicked fingers, Clay tried to steady his breathing. He almost threw it down, but remembered the ballistic marking lessons Apollo had given him.

The bullet was deposited into his pocket. The now gaping wound in his arm was bleeding profusely.

 _Get to the hospital._

Clay took off running. Fulbright didn't shoot, or he just wasn't around. Either way, Clay was grateful. As he made his way through the streets, blood was running down his arm. His legs were beginning to grow weak, and Clay was forced to slow down. He couldn't go on much longer.

He wasn't too far from the Anything Agency. If he hurried, he could get there in five minutes. Clay forced himself to run as he tore through the streets.

Once he knocked, he leaned against the wall, unable to stay standing.

Apollo answered. "Clay, what are you doing here?"

"I need your help." Clay tried to walk in, but fell to the ground.

"Holy shit!"

Athena and Trucy came running at the sound of Apollo's shouts.

"Athena, can you get me the first-aid kit?"

Athena nodded.

"And Trucy, I need you to get me some paper towels and call the paramedics."

"O-okay..." She ran off.

"God Clay, what happened?"

"I was shot, and I pulled the bullet out, and I'm in a lot of pain."

Apollo knit his eyebrows together. "Why'd you pull it out?"

Clay let his head lull to the side so Apollo couldn't see his face. "I dunno. I guess I panicked."

"Here you go," Trucy handed Apollo the paper towels.

Apollo muttered a quick 'thank you' as she ran off, and pressed them into Clay's arm. "Who shot you?"

"Fulbright. After he rammed into the car I was riding in."

"Why?"

"He's been trying to kill me ever since the launch was canceled."

"Here," Athena tossed the first-aid kit to Apollo.

He coaxed Clay's arm out of the sleeve and pulled out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, and a few cotton balls. "Alright, I'm gonna put some peroxide on your arm. It's probably gonna hurt."

Clay nodded and braced himself. Apollo gingerly dabbed the open wound and Clay took in a sharp breath.

"Sorry," Apollo pulled out the bandages and started wrapping them around as fast as he could. Once he was done, he lead Clay to the couch. Apollo turned to return the paper towels, but Clay grabbed his arm. Apollo turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Apollo smiled sadly. "No problem."

"I-I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't helped me." Clay held out his arms.

Apollo rolled his eyes and hugged his friend. "You would've done the same for me."

The door opened and Phoenix walked in. He stopped and stared at the pale, shivering man lying on his couch. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend, Clay. He got shot so he's resting here until the paramedics come."

Clay was struggling to stay awake while Apollo and his boss spoke in hushed whispers.

"Why did he come here?"

"He collapsed once he got here. I don't think he had much of a choice."

"How did he know how to get here?" Phoenix asked.

"I don't know. I was too busy freaking out to ask."

There was the sound of footsteps approaching Clay. A hand shook his shoulder. "Hey, you awake?"

Clay opened his eyes. "I wouldn't die on your couch. I'm not that rude."

Apollo laughed and pushed Clay lightly.

Sirens sounded in the distance and Apollo looked up. "Looks like the paramedics are here."

Someone knocked on the door. Phoenix answered.

"We received a report that someone was shot?"

Phoenix gestured to Clay who was leaning on Apollo's shoulder. The paramedic took Clay and lead him to an ambulance where he lied down. He could hear Apollo talking to another paramedic.

"Can I please ride in the ambulance? I-I don't have a car."

They must have said yes because Apollo walked to the front of the ambulance.

There was a blur of movement. Someone was taking his blood pressure, another was pulling the bandages from his arm and applying some type of medicine Clay didn't recognize.

Another paramedic was telling him to stay awake. Clay figured that was probably a good idea, but his eyes were just too heavy. He was drifting in and out of consciousness the whole ride to the hospital.

"...let?"

Clay tried to clear his vision by blinking. "Wh-what?"

"Do you still have the bullet?"

He nodded absentmindedly and tried to pull it from his pocket. The paramedic told Clay to lie down and pulled it from his pocket.

At the hospital, Clay was wheeled into a room, Apollo at his side the whole way.

"You're gonna be fine..." Apollo kept repeating. After about the fifth time, Clay figured he was probably saying it more to himself than anything.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure the bleeding stopped."

Apollo eyed the bandages on Clay arm. "Yeah… that's good."

The two sat in silence and Clay eventually found himself dozing off.

. . .

Clay awoke to find his dad sitting next to him. "D-Dad? What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here?' I'm here because you got hurt!"

Clay smiled. "It's just a flesh wound."

Geo smiled. "You're not taking this seriously. Clay, you almost died."

"Did I?" Clay was grinning like a mad man. "Well 'almost died' isn't the same as 'actually died'. So I'm considering this a momentous occasion."

"I swear to god Clay, you're going to be the death of me."

"Do you mean the 'almost death' of you?"

Geo groaned while Clay laughed.

Once he regained his composure, Clay asked, "where's Apollo?"

"He's giving his statement to the police."

"Do you think they're going to ask me too?"

"I don't know. The police haven't come asking for you yet."

Clay nodded and pressed his lips together. "Do you know what happened to Aura or Director Cosmos?"

"No one's told me anything. They didn't even tell me how you ended up here?"

Clay's eyes widened. "Oh, I should probably tell you then..." He explained the situation to his father who nodded slowly while he listened.

Apollo poked his head in halfway through the explanation.

"Hey, you're awake!" He sat down in the chair on the other side of Clay.

"I figured I'd grace you with my presence. I heard you were being questioned."

"Yeah, Ema interrogated me which wasn't much fun."

"She's not too bad..."

Apollo cocked an eyebrow. "Really, when have you met her?"

Clay pretended to sneeze then said, "I've seen her around town, and it didn't seem like she hated life too much."

Geo cleared his throat.

"Oh right. I was telling Dad how I ended up here."

"Have you gotten to the part where you scared the shit out of me?" Apollo asked.

Clay shook his head and proceeded to explain everything to his father. "And then his boss came in and was probably wondering why some stranger was bleeding out on his couch."

"What I want to know is what you did to get this Fulbright person breathing down your neck," Geo asked.

"Well the launch got canceled and Fulbright thinks it's because I found out who he is."

Apollo knit his eyebrows together. "What do you mean 'who he is'?"

"That's what I've been wondering too. Where is he by the way?"

"No one knows. Ema says he disappeared."

Clay moved to get out of the bed.

"What are you doing?" Apollo asked.

"I'm ready to leave."

"You can't just leave. The doctors haven't discharged you."

"I'm fine. Look they patched me up and everything!"

Apollo frowned. "Clay, come on now..."

"I've been here long enough."

"You've been here for three hours."

"Clay," Geo placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Why do you want to leave all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it obvious? Fulbright's roaming around. He's going to kill us!"

"Wouldn't staying here be safer?" Apollo asked.

"No, he'll find us. I don't know how, but he will."

"Then we'll keep watch." Apollo suggested.

"He'd squash you like a bug."

"Ow."

"It's true. He almost took me out, and I weigh like, fifty pounds more than you."

"We're not breaking you out of the hospital."

"You don't have to break me out. You just need to get me discharged!"

Apollo and Geo looked at each other. They were probably debating how insane Clay was.

"How about we talk to the doctor?" Geo asked. "We'll see what she has to say."

Apollo summoned a nurse and requested the doctor. After about twenty minutes, the doctor showed up. She and Apollo talked for a few minutes.

"So?" Clay asked.

"She says you need to stay here over night to make sure you're stable."

"I'm stable! I'm as stable as you can get!"

"Well try telling that to the doctor."

"I think I will!" Clay pressed the call button.

"Yes?" A voice on the other side asked.

"I'd like to speak to Doctor Li'ev please."

"Doctor Li'ev says you can't be discharged until tomorrow."

"Please?"

"Doctor Li'ev isn't going to change her mind." The nurse hung up and Clay crossed his arms.

"What did I-"

"Shut up."

. . .

A few hours later, Clay was still awake. Apollo was staring out of the window.

"Hey," Clay said.

Apollo looked over. "Hey yourself."

"Is there any way someone could track our location?"

Apollo creased his brow. "Um… there's that app on our phones that tracks them if they're lost. You put in the phone number and it'll show the phone's location."

"Delete it."

"What, why?"

"Fulbright can track us with that. We need to delete it."

"O-okay." Apollo looked down at his phone. "Where's your phone?"

Clay swore under his breath. "I don't know. I must've dropped it somewhere." He sat back and rubbed his eyes. "Do you know what happened to Aura and Director Cosmos?"

"Nope, I had a hard enough time coaxing Ema into giving me the information on Fulbright."

"I'll have to ask if they bring me in for questioning." Apollo looked over at Clay's father who was asleep.

"Do you think Geo has a tracking app?"

"Nah, Dad's never been one to give over personal information." Clay closed his eyes. "Do you think we could keep Fulbright out if we slept in shifts?"

Apollo shrugged. "I dunno we could try. I took a nap a while ago so I'll take first watch if you want."

"I thought you were already keeping watch, and now you're sleeping on the job?"

"Well I was under the impression that Fulbright was going to squash me like a bug so… y'know."

"Ha ha. You're so funny." Clay let out a long yawn.

"You should probably sleep." Apollo said.

"Probably." Clay leaned back. "Yell if you get stabbed."

"I'm pretty sure that was a given."

. . .

Clay woke up the next morning to a knock on his door. He was alone. "Y-yes?"

"IV change." The nurse called out as she opened the door.

"Um, there were two people here earlier. Do you have any idea where they went?"

The nurse pursed her lips. "I'm pretty sure they left about an hour ago. They said they were coming back."

"Another question. When can I leave?"

"You'll have to consult Dr. Li'ev. She's doing her rounds right now."

"So I won't get out for a few hours then."

The nurse paused. "Most likely."

Clay laughed. "I like you, you don't bullshit- er, pardon my language."

The nurse smirked. "I've found being honest is better for the patients." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Once Clay was left alone, he realized how bored he really was. His ears pricked up when there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

The door opened and Fulbright walked in. Clay's breath caught in his throat.

"What do you want?" He whispered. Fulbright held up a phone. "Aw, you found my phone. Your kindness is making me blush."

The phone was thrown at Clay. He caught it, unamused.

"Call Mr. Justice."

"And why would I do that?"

Fulbright pulled out his lighter/gun.

"Why would I do that? You'll just kill him too."

"I'll kill you and use your fingerprint to unlock your phone."

Clay slammed his fist into the nurse call button.

"Hello?"

Fulbright slapped a hand over Clay's mouth. Trying to break free, Clay made any sound he could.

"Sir, are you okay?"

Clay screamed as loud as he could.

"I'll be down there right away."

Fulbright pressed the gun to Clay's head and pulled the trigger.


	11. Round 11

Day By Day

Round 11

Clay woke up in high spirits. He had finally made headway in figuring out how Fulbright was tracking them. Throwing his door open, he grabbed Apollo by the shoulders. "Delete your phone-tracking app thing!"

Apollo knit his eyebrows together. "What?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said. Just, why?"

Clay had to think fast. "I read it's saving people's location, and publishing it. If you go to a certain website, you can access everyone's location."

Apollo's eyes widened. "Oh shit, glad you found that." He opened his phone. "You deleted yours right?"

Clay nodded.

 _I can't believe he believed that…_

 _Oh wait. You haven't started habitually lying to him yet._

"Good, well I'll see you later. I have to leave for work."

Clay said goodbye, then was left alone to figure out how the hell he was going to use this new information.

 _So Fulbright isn't tracking our location. I could run and Apollo would be fine. But no… Fulbright knows where he works. I'll have to get Apollo to go somewhere else. But how do I do that?_

Clay flopped down on the couch and threw an arm over his face.

 _He gets pissed when I act all suspicious -like. I should let him see the notes Fulbright leaves me. Then when Apollo asks questions, I'll dodge them. Yeah, that's what I'll do._ _But he'll just camp out in my room if I only try to dodge his questions. I'll have to push him a bit farther if I want him to leave…_

Clay sighed. "Here goes nothing."

He waited anxiously for Sunday to roll around. Once the day arrived, Clay convinced Apollo that they should go out. While they were driving, he purposefully hit all the potholes he could. After about twenty minutes of this, a tire blew out.

"Ugh," the two men exited the car. Clay rubbed his hands together "You get the tools while I get the spare."

It was only four o'clock by the time the spare was switched out. They'd need to kill some more time.

"We should go and get another tire," Clay said.

"Really? Can't it wait?"

"If we don't get it changed now, I'll push it off until I blow another tire and then we'll be shit outta luck. We should just get it changed now. We don't have anything else to do right?"

Apollo shrugged. "I guess not," and they both climbed back into Clay's car.

An hour later the tire was fixed. Clay said he was starving.

"Are we going on another field trip?" Apollo asked, a slight smirk on his face.

"Well, I mean, I'm just really hungry. You don't have t come along if you don't want to."

Apollo said that he could use some food as well, and the two made their way to a restaurant.

Once they were seated, Apollo looked around at the other people seated around them. He seemed to me thinking about something. "You've been acting strange lately. Anything goin' on?"

 _Alright, commencing stage 1 of operation Get-Apollo-To-Leave._

"Nah, I guess it's just the launch getting canceled that's bothering me. Y'know life dreams and all."

Apollo's hand went to his wrist. "What?" He was looking Clay in the eye.

Clay repeated himself, and Apollo knit his eyebrows together.

"You're sure that's all that's bothering you?" Apollo was visibly concerned.

Clay swallowed the urge to spill his guts to his friend, and said that he was sure. Apollo didn't seem to have much of an appetite after that. He just pushed his food around his plate while Clay finished.

There was a note in front of their apartment door when the two returned. "Oh hey," Clay picked it up. Unsurprisingly, it was from Fulbright.

"What's it say?" Apollo asked.

"Fulbright came by. Apparently he wanted to talk to me.

"Why would he want to talk to you? Have you done something wrong?"

Clay forced himself to stutter as he said he didn't know, and Apollo's hand, once again went to his wrist.

"You're sure nothing's going on? 'Cause you can talk to me if you need to."

"I'd talk to you if something was going on. When have I not?"

Apollo mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, "right now," and the two parted ways into their respected rooms.

. . .

The next day, Clay asked if he could hang around the Agency. Apollo said yes, and the two made their way to the law office/ magician's headquarters.

"Why do you have an interest in my job all of a sudden?" Apollo asked.

Clay turned to face Apollo. "I just want to see where you work, I guess."

Another hand around his wrist, and the two walked on in silence for a few minutes until Apollo said, "did you do something illegal?"

Clay's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open from genuine shock. "No! I don't commit crimes. I've got a job I need to keep."

Apollo studied his friend's face. The answer seemed to suffice since he turned his attention back to the pavement, but Clay could sense that Apollo was still seriously questioning what he was saying.

Finally they arrived at the Agency, and Trucy answered with a smile. Clay made a mental note to not mention wedding rings or Kickstarter.

"Hi Polly! Hi Clay."

The two entered the office and Apollo plopped down on one of the couches. Clay sat down next to him, and could practically see the gears turning in Apollo's head. Hopefully he didn't decide to bring Athena into this. Clay did not want to have to go through another therapy session.

"What are you doing here, Clay?" Trucy asked.

Clay shrugged, trying to seem somewhat nonchalant. "I have nothing better to do, I guess."

Trucy cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes.

 _Please don't tell me she's suspicious too._

She continued to stare until Clay gave her a nervous smile. Her face cleared up and she grinned. "Okay!" The teenager moved her attention to somewhere deeper in the office.

Clay leaned over to Apollo. "Is she usually like that?"

Apollo glanced down the hall Trucy had skipped down. "...No, at least she doesn't act that way around me."

The door to the Agency opened and Athena strode in.

"Hey Apollo," she noticed Clay. "Who's this? A new client?"

"No, this is my friend Clay. He's… visiting."

Athena stuck her head out. "Athena Cykes. I work with Apollo."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Clay Terran." He shook her hand.

 _I have to kill some time until Fulbright shows up…_

"So Apollo told me you have superpowers too."

Athena furrowed her brown. A few moments later, she seemed to understand what Clay was referring to and smiled. "Yeah, but I wouldn't really call it a 'super power'. I just have really good ears."

Clay held up his hands. "I'm just sayin', if you two became a super-duo. You'd be able to fight a lot more crime."

Athena smiled. "I'd be open to Apollo and me becoming superheroes if he actually went out for a joy every so often."

Apollo sighed. "Athena, we've been over this… I don't want to."

"I'll jog with you. Unlike some people, I appreciate the art of being able to go up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath."

Apollo narrowed his eyes. "You wanna go?" He readied his fists.

"I could knock you out in one punch."

Apollo lowered his fists. "And how do you know that?"

 _Shit… I did not mean to say that._

"Well I'm quite a bit stronger than you so..."

With a sigh, Apollo said, "oh right. Thanks for-"

There was a knock on the door and Clay's eyes widened.

"I have to use the bathroom."

Athena pointed. "Oh it's over-" Clay was gone. "… There."

He knocked on the closed bathroom door, but heard humming on the other side.

"Closed for cleaning!" Trucy called out.

 _Good god that thing really is a porcelain menace._

Clay looked around for another hiding spot. Fulbright never searched deep into the Agency, so Clay hid behind a wall.

 _Wait… I didn't tell Apollo not to tell Fulbright I'm here._

In a panic, Clay pulled out his phone and started typing as fast as he could.

 _Dont tell them im here_

He sent the message just as the door opened.

There was the ding of Apollo's phone, and Clay prayed he'd read it in time.

"Detective Fulbright?" Athena asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for a man by the name of Clay Terran? Have you seen him?"

"Oh-" Athena was cut off by Apollo,

"Nope. I haven't seen him since I went to work this morning."

"What are you doing?" Trucy asked.

Clay jumped. He hadn't heard her show up. "Sh. I'm not here." He whispered.

She nodded and hid behind the wall as well. "Why are we hiding?"

"Fulbright's looking for me."

"Did you do something illegal?"

"No I- why does everyone think that? Do I just look like the criminal type?"

Trucy frowned. "Hm… no. I don't think so."

Fulbright started talking again. "Where's the little girl that's usually following you around? What was her name? Tracy?"

"Trucy." Apollo corrected.

Trucy looked at Clay who gestured for her to go.

"Yeah, Polly?"

"Are you Trucy?" Fulbright asked.

"Mm hm."

Clay held his breath as the two talked. Trucy was asked questions about Clay and she answered that she had no idea who he was, nor what he looked like.

It seemed that her response didn't satisfy Fulbright. "Can I search the office?"

Clay swallowed.

"You got a warrant?" Apollo asked.

"...No. I don't."

 _Thank god._

"Sorry, but you're gonna need one if you want to search the office. Can I ask why you wanted to search it in the first place? We haven't done anything illegal."

There was a brief moment of silence. "No reason. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any illegal substances around."

"Well we don't, thanks for the concern." The door opened and closed, and Clay poked his head out. The coast was clear.

"Hey," he said.

"What was that all about?" Athena asked. "Why is Fulbright looking for you?"

"Yeah Clay," Apollo had his arms crossed. "Why is Fulbright after you?"

Clay swallowed. "I-I don't know. He's been after me for a few days and he hasn't told me why."

Apollo flinched and looked at Athena who met his gaze. "You don't have any idea what's going on?" He asked.

"If I did, I'd tell you. Promise."

Apollo frowned and pressed his finger into his forehead. Clay could tell he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut. Without so much as a word, Apollo had made Clay feel like complete garbage. It seemed like he was pretty good at that.

The rest of the afternoon was awkward. Phoenix returned a while later and Clay had the usual conversation. Apollo sat silently at his desk and focused on his paperwork while Trucy and Athena watched the Steel Samurai.

Clay wasn't completely sure what to do. After a few minutes of indecision, he finally sat down next to Trucy and tried to drown his sorrows in elaborate action scenes until the Agency closed for the night.

Clay drove himself and Apollo home. Occasionally, he'd try to say something, but wouldn't receive any kind of response.

Once they were home, both men went to their rooms and shut the doors.

Clay climbed under the covers of his bed. He was just beginning to doze off when Apollo barged in.

"Why won't you tell me anything?!"

Clay took a deep breath, here goes… "What?"

Apollo crossed his arms. "You know what I'm talking about. I'm not leaving until you tell me."

Clay wasn't completely sure how he was going to make Apollo leave, but he knew he'd have to do a lot. There wasn't much that made Apollo freak.

 _Lets just start small._

Laying back down, he threw an arm over his face and said, "Apollo, I really don't know what you're talking about."

"You know why Fulbright's breathing down your neck."

"And how did you figure that out? Did my nose twitch or something?"

Apollo narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess, I guess."

"Ha. Bullshit."

 _Alright, he's getting mad. I just need to poke him a little more._

"Aw well, I guess we're at an impasse. I don't know what you're talking about and you're not gonna leave until I tell you about the thing I know nothing about." Clay rolled over. "If you need me I'll be asleep."

Apollo walked away.

 _No no no no…_

He flipped the light switch and the room was bathed in light.

 _Thank god._

"Why won't you talk to me?!" He yelled. "Why do you have to deny everything?"

 _Alright, he's getting mad… I just need to push it a bit more._

"Maybe because I don't know anything. Did that ever occur to you dumb ass?"

"Ugh, you're doing it again. Why won't you tell me the truth?"

 _The truth…_

He knew what to say. Now all he had to do was hope Apollo didn't hate him forever. Clay braced himself for the verbal lashing he'd probably receive, then said, "wow, first you present forged evidence-"

Apollo's eyes flared.

 _Bingo._

"Finish that god damn sentence. I. _Dare you._ "

Clay swallowed. "I said, first you present forged evidence and now you're bullying me into saying what you want me to say. I didn't know you were as crooked as your old boss."

Apollo set his jaw. His eyes were still trying to burn a hole in Clay's skull. "Fine. I don't have to subject myself to your asshole behavior. If you want me to leave, I'll just go to Rah'bel's house." He turned to leave.

"Good. You're more useful there than here." That was probably overkill…

Apollo turned to look back. "I'm going then. Maybe I'll find someone who'll actually talk to me." He had a look of desperation on his face. Clay wanted so badly to apologize, but he couldn't. If he wanted Apollo to live, he had to do this.

"Then leave already. You're giving me a massive headache."

Apollo just stared. This behavior wasn't like Clay and they both knew it. But eventually, he turned and left. The front door opened and slammed shut.

And then Clay was alone.

 _What do I do now?_

About half an hour later, his phone rang. It was Rah'bel. Clay ignored the call, opting to rub his face with his hands and let out a long sigh. He hoped to all things holy this didn't permanently harm their friendship. But telling Apollo he's no different than his old boss wasn't something that could just be fixed with an 'I'm sorry'.

Rah'bel left a message Clay thought about deleting it, but decided he might as well see what what she wanted.

"Hey, this is Rah'bel. Apollo just called me, and he told me what happened. He's spending the night at my house, and he's going to talk to Fulbright tomorrow-"

Clay's blood ran cold.

 _What do I do?_

There were a few outcomes of Apollo visiting Fulbright. He could get killed, Fulbright could turn Apollo against Clay, or Fulbright could kill them both.

 _I could call Rah'bel… No Apollo would probably be listening in. Besides, I would only look more suspicious if I told Apollo not to see Fulbright._

Clay's hands were shaking. What could he do. What. Could. He. Do?

He sat staring at the wall for what seemed like hours. His mind was completely blank. Then the sudden realization hit him.

He messed up. All this hard work and heartache for nothing.

 _I really don't want to wait until Fulbright finds and kills me. But… I can't just kill myself._

 _Or can I?_

Clay sat up. He did keep a container of bleach under the sink. A small smile crept up his face.

 _Looks like all those jokes about drinking bleach are finally coming to fruition._

Now all he had to do was get to the kitchen.

 _Aaaaand we're going._

His legs were shaking.

 _Just… go._

He still didn't move.

 _Terran... go!_

Clay's insides had seized up. Tears threatened to fall as he made his way to the kitchen. He opened the cabinets under the sink, and pulled out a large container. It was mostly full.

His fingers closed around the cap.

 _How's Apollo gonna react to this?_

Clay pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. It didn't matter, he wasn't going to be here much longer. He ripped off the cap and chugged the bleach down before he could think of anything else. A cough escaped his mouth.

 _Holy shit that burned!_

He fell to the ground, his head narrowly avoiding the corner of the counter.

 _I should've thought of a less painful way to kill myself._

Clay curled into a ball as he tried to calm himself down. His stomach felt like it was melting; which it was. The feeling of sheer terror caused his whole body to seize up, making it impossible to move.

The only thing he could do was turn his attention to the cool linoleum pressed against his face. He had never realized how pleasant it felt on his skin. His body had stopped shaking, and Clay was left lying on the ground. He was beginning to feel extremely groggy. He tried to think of what he'd do when he woke up, but his mind was working about as fast as a snail. He could feel himself slipping away.

 _I'm going to be okay._

Clay closed his eyes.

 _It'll all be over soon._


	12. Round 12

Day By Day

Round 12

 _So Operation Get-Apollo-to-Leave was a terrible failure._

Clay was disappointed. He had thought for sure it would work. Now what could he do?

The front door opened and closed, and Clay assumed Apollo was leaving for work.

 _I could try to report this to the police._

He'd have to wait a few days for that to work. For some reason, Clay wanted something a bit more immediate.

 _I could confront Fulbright myself…_

Clay went to the police station and asked for Fulbright.

"Hello! How are you doing today fine citizen!"

"Hi, my name's Clay Terran. I was wondering if you've ever heard of the bomb threat at GYAXA Space Station, right?"

Fulbright furrowed his brow. He had an oblivious look on his face. "Why yes, I was brought on for extra security."

"I'm just going to get to the point. I know that you sent the bomb threat."

Fulbright raised an eyebrow. "And what evidence do you have that it was me?"

"Why would I tell you that? You'd kill me and destroy the evidence."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I really?"

"What's stopping me from killing you right here and now?"

"The fact that I'm recording everything we're saying."

Fulbright's face seemed to contort to a look of fear, but was quickly replaced with a straight face. "Leave."

"Call off the bomb threat and I won't send this recording to police."

Fulbright's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Now leave."

Clay smirked. "Thank you for your time." He walked out.

Once he was in his car, a shot rang out. It hit Clay's phone. "Shit!" Another hit him straight in the head.


	13. Round 13

Day By Day

Round 13

 _That was very stupid of you, Terran._

 _Yeah, yeah. I know._

This time Clay decided that he'd be a bit more subtle in his 'Fulbright Exposed' plan.

Two could play the leave foreboding notes game. Clay waited until Fulbright left the station and asked to see him.

"Sorry, Detective Fulbright just left."

"Oh I'll just leave him a note then."

Clay walked to the 'Detective's' office, and wrote down a note:

 _You don't know me, but I know what you've done. I'd suggest that you call of the bombing at the space center, or I'll be forced to expose you for the criminal you are._

Clay walked out of the police station.

He expected to receive a call from Director Cosmos the next day saying that the bomb threat was revoke, but when he left for work he received another bullet to the head.


	14. Round 14

Day By Day

 **Sorry about the mix-up. I was copy-pasting these chapters from Libre Office, and I didn't realize this one got corrupted. But it's better now, and that's all that matters. Thank you to the people who pointed it out :)**

Round 14

 _You idiot! The receptionist probably said it was you who left the note!_

Clay sighed.

 _Looks like confronting Fulbright isn't going to work. I need to think of a better approach. Wait a second..._

Anonymous tips! Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?

The police hotline had place to submit those. He just had to call, and all of this would be over.

Clay patted himself on the back for being so clever.

He went to work that day. Director Cosmos called him in shortly after Clay arrived.

"Apparently an anonymous tip was submitted concerning the bombing."

Clay pretended to be surprised. "You're kidding right? Does… does that mean the police know who did it?"

"From what I've been told, the police are looking into it. Honestly I thought it was a little ridiculous."

Clay furrowed his brow. "How so?"

"Apparently the caller said it was Detective Fulbright that made the threat." Cosmos shook his head. "I don't even know how they found out about the bombing in the first place. I made sure information about it wasn't released to the public.

"Hm. That is weird."

"You know anything about it, son?"

Clay swallowed. "Why do you think I'd know anything? I'm as surprised as you are."

Director Cosmos held the younger man's gaze for a few moments, then turned his attention back to his paperwork. "Anyway, Detective Fulbright has been suspended from the case at the moment."

Clay couldn't help but grin as he exited the room.

 _Now, even if the bombs do go off, I won't be stabbed to death!_

He stopped smiling.

 _That is probably the strangest thing I've celebrated in a while…_

"Hey Space boy, you look happy."

"I'm just excited. I _really_ can't wait to go to space."

Aura crossed her arms. "I guess you always were easily excited."

Clay furrowed his brow. "'Easily excited'? I'm going to space! You would be excited too!"

The older woman looked down. "Not much makes me happy these days."

Before Clay could respond, there was the sound of a thud. "That sounded like it came from the Director's office."

Aura pushed open the door. Her hands went to her mouth. "Oh my god..."

Clay squeezed past. "Holy shit."

Director Cosmos was lying on the ground. There was a knife in the back of his head.

"We have to call the-" Aura fell to the ground.

"Aura!" Clay looked around frantically, trying to find the perpetrator.

"I bet whoever submitted that tip is really regretting it." Fulbright stabbed Clay in the back.

He fell on top of Aura. The heat from her body was slowly diminishing. Clay tried to turn around, but it seemed like Fulbright had stabbed his spinal cord.

 _Shit. This is not what was supposed to happen!_

The door closed and Clay was left to stare at the ground in front of him. Blood rolled down his back and onto his face.

 _No more messing with Fulbright._


	15. Round 15

Day By Day

Round 15

Clay was true to his promise. He slowed down, and decided to think about things before he sprung into action.

 _I know how Fulbright was tracking me. I just need to get Apollo and myself out of here._

Apollo was punched, and strapped into Clay's car.

 _Should I head to that inn?_

He decided that he might as well.

Apollo woke up, and was extremely pissed at Clay, who explained everything to him. Of course, Apollo was still mad that he got punched, but was understanding of the circumstances surrounding the assault.

They checked in and unpacked.

A few days went by before all hell broke loose.

"Hello?" Apollo answered his phone. "I am he." After a few moments of silence his eyes widened. "Oh my god..." He put the phone down. Tears had begun to run down his face.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

Apollo was shaking.

"Apollo!"

"Rah'bel's dead."

Everything seemed to slow down as Clay processed what had just been said. "What?"

Apollo collapsed to the ground. "Holy shit… Holy shit..." He looked up. "We have to go home."

Clay pressed his lips into a thin line. "We-we can't do that."

"Why not?!"

"We'll both get killed if we do."

"Then I'll go myself."

Clay furrowed his brow. "Apollo, you and I both know you can't get back by yourself."

"Then take me back home!" Apollo was yelling now.

"We're going to get killed if I take us back. Do you _really_ want that?"

"You'd do the same thing if Geo was dead!"

Clay rubbed his temples. This was getting to be extremely annoying. "Not if I knew I was going to be killed!"

"You're insane."

"If wanting to stay alive makes me insane, then consider me asylum bound because I'm not leaving!"

Apollo didn't say anything after that. After about fifteen minutes later, he stood up. "My cab's here."

Clay furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I said my cab's here. It didn't take much time to find someone who'll actually take me home." Apollo didn't grab anything as he walked out the door. "I'll come back when I'm done just to prove to you that I'm not dead."

Clay watched Apollo walk out of the room. He thought about killing himself again, but decided to wait until Apollo turned up dead before he made any decisions.

He received a response late at night.

 _What's Apollo doing texting me at two in the morning?_

There was a video attached. It started with the sound of muffled grunts.

 _Shit._

"Hello Terran. I see you didn't listen to my previous warning. That's too bad." Fulbright was using some kind of voice modifier. "But that's fine. I'll give you another chance." The camera moved to Apollo and Geo who were struggling against their bonds. "Aw, look at them, so full of life. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to them."

Clay couldn't pull his eyes away from his phone. This could not be happening.

"Respond to this message within an hour and I'll think about sparing their lives. If not..." Fulbright picked up Apollo by his bangs. "Mr. Justice goes first."

The video ended.

 _ **What do you want from me?**_

The response was almost instant.

 _Meet me at this address._

The address was listed. Clay looked it up; it was some kind of warehouse.

 _Of course it is. Fulbright seems to have some strange attraction to warehouses._

Without even thinking, Clay grabbed his keys and headed for the door. It didn't occur to him that he could just kill himself and start over until he was almost back in L.A. But by then, he was in too deep to just stat over.

 _I could use this to figure out what exactly Fulbright's going to do to Dad and Apollo. Maybe then I could keep Apollo at the inn…_

Clay arrived at the address. His stomach was tied into knots despite him having a vague idea how this altercation would go down. He couldn't stand the idea of getting any more of his family killed. Especially since he was partially responsible for Rah'bel's death.

Instead of nervously hovering around the entrance like he did the last time Fulbright tried something like this, Clay burst through the door. "Fulbright get out here!" He yelled into an empty room. "C'mon you bastard. Show your face already!"

He stepped farther into the warehouse.

 _He's probably hiding in the shadows waiting to kill me._

Clay was partially right. When he turned around, he was struck on the back of the head.

. . .

Something nudged Clay. "Mmmmph!" A kick landed straight on his ribs.

Clay opened his mouth to retort, but there was something soft in his mouth. A gag. He tried to turn over.

 _Apollo?_

The other man widened his eyes almost as if he was saying, "well, let's get outta here!" He started trying to roll over, but with his arms and legs bound, he only flipped over to his back.

Clay tried to do the same, but he ran into Geo. He nudged his father, who didn't respond.

 _C'mon, Dad._

Before Clay could try to wake his father, Apollo let out a muffled shout. His eyes were trained on the flames quietly licking the gap under the door. Both men's actions turned frantic.

 _I should've just killed myself._

Clay shimmied over to Apollo. Their hands were bound at the wrists, making their fingers usable. Clay turned around and motioned for Apollo to bring his hands towards him. Clay started trying to undo the the knot. His fingers fumbled around, trying to get a hold of a loose strand.

The fire had started to spread into the room. Apollo pulled away and started inching towards the fire.

 _What the hell is he doing?_

Apollo placed his wrist just above the fire. The rope had started to burn away. Apollo let out a small yelp of pain when the fire burned his wrist, but other than that, he was alright.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Apollo had pulled off his gag, and was working on the rope binding his ankles.

"Mmph!" Clay shouted.

"Oh right." Apollo pulled the gag out of the other man's mouth.

"Untie my hands so I can work on my feet. Apollo complied and a minute later, Clay's hands were free. "How are we gonna get out of here? I don't see any other way to leave."

Apollo eyes widened as he looked around the room. "Do you have any cell service?"

Clay's hands went to his pockets. "Phone's gone."

Apollo pinched the bridge of his nose, most likely to hold back his tears. "Looks like we're fucked."

"Apollo..."

"There isn't anything we can do, Clay!" Apollo sniffled. "Why didn't I just stay at the inn? We wouldn't be here right now if I had." Apollo wrapped his arms around his legs and leaned against the wall. He was silent for a few minutes. "Why couldn't we die quickly? Why'd it have to be fire?"

 _Because Fulbright's mad at me._

Clay sat down next to Apollo. "I don't know..."

The fire was making its way towards the 3 men. "Do you think there's an afterlife?" There were tears in Apollo's eyes.

"No."

"Neither do I." Apollo laughed bitterly. "I didn't think I'd have to answer that question for a while."

The fire was so close Clay could feel the radiating heat.

"I was expecting to live another 60 years..." Apollo mumbled

"Me too."

The fire was close to touching Geo. Clay pulled his father away, and propped him against the wall. "What does burning to death feel like?" Clay asked.

Apollo gave Clay a strange look. "How can you be so nonchalant? We're going to die!"

Clay was watching the flames dance to its own rhythm. "Well I might as well accept it."

Apollo let out a bitter laugh. "I-I-" He broke down into a sobbing heap. "I don't want to die!"

Clay didn't know what to do. The flames were coming closer, and both him and Apollo were in tears.

"What do we do?" Apollo stood up, looking for a way out. "Are there any air vents?"

Clay grabbed Apollo's arm and pulled him back down. "There's no way out, Apollo."

The other man collapsed to the ground. Clay tried to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but was batted away. "Don't touch me."

Clay curled himself into a ball.

Eventually, the flames engulfed the whole room. Apollo and Clay were reduced to screaming masses as they were slowly burned to ash. Geo never woke up. Either he was already dead or he had some kind of concussion. Despite being surrounded by heat, Clay's insides were cold.

 _Why don't I care that I'm dying?_

This would all be over in a few minutes, but Clay was left with a heart that was heavier than the one he had woken up with a few days ago.

 _I'm sorry._


	16. Round 16

Day By Day

Round 16

 _What am I gonna do?_

Clay couldn't pile everyone in his car and take them on a road trip; that just wasn't possible. But he couldn't just let everyone die.

 _What if I just don't show up for the launch? That would give me a few days to run._

The front door of the apartment opened.

 _I have to talk to Apollo._

Clay jumped out of his bed, and ran to catch up with Apollo. "Wait!" He called out.

Apollo looked up, a confused look on his face. "What?"

"I have something extremely important to tell you!"

"Well spit it out already."

Clay screeched to a halt right in front of Apollo, his hands clamped firmly on the other man's shoulders. "Fulbright wants to kill me."

Apollo's face went through a cycle of emotions. First, he was confused, then angry, then confused again, but finally landed on concerned. "Why?"

"Well… he hasn't started trying to kill me…"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. Skeptical. He was definitely skeptical.

"Hear me out! I know he's behind the bombings and he's _super_ dangerous."

"Then report it to the police."

Clay sighed. "I can't."

Annoyance. "Why not?"

"He'll kill everyone."

Apollo cocked his head to the side. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Well… I've died like, ten times, and the last time I tried to run away, he burned you, me, and my Dad to a crisp."

Apollo pressed his lips into a thin line. Back to confused. "Alright, so why are you telling me this?"

"I'm going to try not showing up for the launch."

"Won't Fulbright just track you down?"

"Not if I'm in a different state."

Shocked. "You're running away?"

"… Well when you put it that way, I guess so."

Apollo creased his brow. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Don't trust Fulbright. He's going to try to kill you."

Apollo ran a hand through his hair. "And if he asks where you went?"

"Lie."

Apollo's eyes widened. Scared. "You know I'm a terrible liar!"

"Just bluff your way out of it."

The other man looked close to bursting into tears. "Clay, I don't want you to die."

Clay was hit with a strong sense of deja vu. He tried to force a small smile. "I'm not gonna die."

...Apollo was sad. "Just… just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise." He held out his arms, offering a farewell hug. Apollo took it.

"What do I do if you die?"

"Tell the police Fulbright killed me."

Apollo opened his mouth as if to say something, but decided against it. "G-goodbye."

"I'll contact you when I can."

Apollo said nothing as he picked up his briefcase. Clay couldn't tell how he felt."Talk to you soon."

. . .

Clay had deleted the tracking app off his phone and taken his money out of his bank account. Now he was officially off the grid…

Again.

 _I have to get out of the state._

He could make it to Arizona or New Mexico in about a day. Then he would have plenty of time for Clay to figure out a backup plan.

 _I have three days before Fulbright starts coming after me. In that time I need to find a way to make sure everyone survives, and Fulbright gets put away._

It wasn't until late at night that Clay checked into a hotel in New Mexico. It wasn't nearly as nice as Moe Tell's Inn, but he wasn't going to complain. He'd stay just about anywhere as long as there weren't any drug deals going down. The receptionist said that as far as he knew, the place was drug free. Clay took his word and the key to his room, and went up to the room he was given.

 _I need to find a payphone and call Apollo tomorrow, just to let him know I'm okay._

The next day, Clay asked where he could find a payphone, and was directed to a booth in the corner of the hotel lobby. Once he was inside, Clay pooled all of his money together to form the fee, and punched Apollo's number into the keypad.

" **Hi, this is Apollo Justice. I'm not here right now, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."**

Clay sighed. "Hey, it's me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing alright. I was hoping we could talk a bit, but I guess you're working" Clay struggled to find something else to say. "Uh… you should probably delete this message. I'll try again tomorrow. Bye." He hung up.

"Did you make your call alright?" The receptionist asked.

"Yeah," Clay made his way back up to his room. He didn't know what to do now. He wouldn't have to fear for his life for another few days, and he was feeling a bit empty. The refridgerator needed food. He could go grocery shopping. And then he could…

Check his emails…

Clay was bored. Maybe all this action over the past few cycles has spoiled him. He knew that he should be happy people aren't getting stabbed, or burned to death, but there was a part of him that _wanted_ everything to crash and burn. Clay wasn't proud of the thoughts some strange part of his brain produced, but they couldn't be silenced forever.

 _I need to get some groceries. Calm my mind a little._

And so Clay went on his grocery excursion. He always managed to buy the same food when he went out. Some bread, a few different types of fruit, some other items that could be microwaved. It was kind of mesmerizing how he could make these choices unconsciously. Or was it indicative of the monotonous lifestyle he was going to have to-

 _Stop. I don't need to think like that._

Back in his hotel room, Clay read a book he had bought in the bargain bin at the supermarket. It was some terribly written sci-fi book that was so dense, he almost burned it. This was a complete disgrace to the science fiction genre! It's amazing what passes for science fiction nowadays. He'd have to tell Apollo about it.

 _Oh wait… I'm on the run now._

Clay needed to leave again. His thoughts were becoming way too toxic. There was a park on the way to the supermarket. He could jog for a little bit, then maybe talk to some people. That would help keep his mind off of things.

On his way out, Clay threw the book he was reading in the garbage where it belonged.

"You're leaving again?" The receptionist was giving him a strange look.

Clay knit his eyebrows together. "Yeah? I'm bored." That came out a bit more curt than intended, but it did the job as the receptionist looked back down at the paper he was writing on.

 _Now to the park…_

There wasn't much to do there either. This was going to drive Clay crazy. It probably already was what with the constant warring voices in his head fighting for control over his general thought processes. People were staring at him as they walked by. Clay almost asked them what they were staring at, but realized that he was a grown man sitting alone on a bench beside the playground.

He got up and left.

 _What can I possibly do to calm myself down? There isn't anywhere else I can go…_

 _Besides, even if I do go somewhere else, I'll probably be driven crazy there-_

Some car was honking, pulling Clay away from his thoughts. He jerked his steering wheel to the side to prevent from hitting the car, and ended up down a hill, slamming into a tree. Before Clay could register anything, he had lost consciousness.


	17. Round 17

Day By Day

Round 17

God dammit.

 _I wasn't even doing too great in New Mexico anyway. It was probably a sign that I died…_

Apollo was still upset about Clay leaving, but Clay didn't feel as bad as he had the first time. It was probably just because he knew that he could get in touch with Apollo if he needed to.

Clay tried Arizona. It seemed like a decent place that could keep him occupied. There were deserts…

And he could go on an alien sight-seeing tour…

That would be fun.

It was alright. Clay didn't learn anything new, but he was occupied for a small amount of time.

He found a book on the history of space travel that was a lot better than the sci-fi book he found in New Mexico. That didn't teach him anything he didn't already know either.

But it took up time at least.

His warring thoughts seemed to subside after a while, but Clay found that he wasn't thinking about much of anything. At least about anything of importance.

 _I should probably order some food._

But he just wanted to sleep, really. He only ordered food to put his stomach to rest.

After about an hour of laying in bed, hoping for sleep that never came, there was a knock on the door. "Room service!" It was the receptionist. Oh right, he had ordered food a while ago...

Clay forced himself to get up and answer the door. A tray was handed off to him. "Thanks." He closed the door and looked down at the food. It was all stuff he liked, steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, he even ordered a piece of cake. But he didn't feel any desire to eat anything.

Back to sleeping.

The next day, Clay managed to pull himself out of bed to call Apollo. This time, he received an answer,

"Hello?"

Clay rubbed his eyes with one hand. Why was he so tired? "It's me."

"Oh hey! How are you doing?" Apollo seemed way happier than usual.

"I'm doing fine."

"Are you sure? You sound upset." It might just be Clay's imagination...

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm alright. Uh… how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, I guess. How's… where ever you are?"

 _Completely bland._

"It's fine. Nothing too exciting, but I should probably be grateful for that. I could use a break from running for my life."

Apollo laughed quietly. "Everything's been quiet here. I've still got my head between my shoulders. Guess that's a good sign."

Clay managed a short laugh. If it could even be classified as that. "Yeah, probably." There was silence over both sides of the line.

Apollo coughed nervously. "...Well I have to get going. Talk to you soon?"

"Yeah." Clay hung up and made his way back to his room.

"You're not going to go out?" The receptionist seemed concerned. "You haven't left in a while."

"Why do you care? I'm paying regardless."

The woman frowned, clearly annoyed at Clay's response. "Well excuse me for being concerned. I'll just mind my own business from now on."

"Much appreciated."

She rolled her eyes as Clay jammed the up button on the elevator despite only being on the second floor. Once he was in his room, he collapsed on the bed. Everything seemed to take so much out of him, and Clay couldn't figure out why. As far as he knew he wasn't sick, but he was sleeping as much as he would if he _was_ sick. Maybe he was just adjusting. This was a completely different environment.

Whatever it was, Clay didn't have the energy to think about it any longer. He just went back to sleep.

. . .

What day was it? Monday. He only had a day before the launch. Hopefully Fulbright wouldn't kill Apollo or anyone else and will just try to track down Clay. Of course that was wishful thinking.

It was Wednesday when the receptionist knocked on his door. "Phone call."

"Who's it from?"

"A Mr. Apollo Justice. Says it's really important."

Clay opened the door and took the phone. Before the receptionist could say anything, he retreated back into his room and shut the door. "Hello?"

"Fulbright's looking for you."

"That was a given."

"He killed Starbuck."

"Of course he did..." Clay cursed himself for not thinking about that. Of _course_ he'd kill Starbuck. He was the only one on the rocket.

"How are you so-"

"I'm extremely desensitized to the whole dying thing, okay?"

"Fulbright's going to start looking for me soon."

"Just lie like I told you to and delete your call history."

Apollo inhaled a shaky breath. "I can't lie."

"It's really not that hard."

"Maybe not for you, but I've never been able to lie. I fidget and look as guilty as guilty can be!" Apollo's voice was edged with panic. "He's going to know that I'm lying the minute I open my mouth."

Clay furrowed his brow. His mind was slowly starting to sharpen; his thoughts were picking up speed. "Then tell half-truths. 'Have you seen Clay?' 'I haven't seen him since Friday'. It's not _technically_ a lie."

"Are you ever going to come back?"

Clay froze. That was a question he hadn't thought about. "I-I hope so."

"You don't know?"

"Not at this moment."

"You can't just spend your whole life running away. You'll run out of money eventually."

 _I'll probably die before I run out of money._

"I haven't thought about this part of the plan much. I'll figure things out when I get to them."

"Just… please be-"

"I'll be careful as careful can be."

Apollo managed a small laugh."Stop reading my thoughts."

Clay must seem like the strangest person in the world. "Sorry. I'll try to keep my mind-reading powers to myself." He said the phrase without any hint of humor, but Apollo laughed anyway. Probably in an attempt to lighten the awkward mood.

"Well I have to go back to fearing for my life. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah… definitely." The two exchanged their goodbyes and Clay opened the door to his room. The receptionist was still standing there. She looked pissed.

"You didn't have to slam the door in my face." A deep scowl was imprinted on her face.

"Sorry, I didn't meant to," Clay handed the phone back, and moved to close the door. The receptionist's foot blocked the way.

"What were you talking about? I heard something about a plan?"

Clay felt completely drained. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. "I was talking to my friend."

"Are you doing anything illegal? Because if you are, I'll have to call the cops."

"I'm not breaking the law. I'm just in a really bad part of my life, and I don't know what to do about it."

The receptionist's face immediately softened. "Is there anything I can do? You _have_ seen really lost recently..."

Clay shook his head. "No, I want to figure things out for myself." He moved to close the door. "But thank you for asking."

And he was alone.

 _What do I do now? Hopefully Apollo's convincing enough to convince Fulbright that he doesn't know where I am… But Apollo's right. He isn't a good liar._

Clay dealt with this internal turmoil the only way he seemed to know how. Sleep.

The next day, he received a phone call.

"You're pretty popular," the receptionist was smirking.

Clay took the phone and held it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"They've got Fulbright in police custody." Apollo's voice sounded urgent.

Clay's eyebrows rose. "How the hell'd they manage that?"

"I told them what you said, but they need your testimony to make sure any of it sticks."

"They need _me_?"

"Yeah, one of the detectives told me to get in contact with you and get you back up here."

"I-I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Great!"

It was great. Clay checked out, and trotted over to his car. He was ready to kick some ass and take names. The traffic wasn't bad, but that was probably because it was only ten in the morning.

That made it even more maddening when the pickup truck t-boned him.

 _God._

 _Dammit._


	18. Round 18

Day By Day

Round 18

Clay took off. He didn't tell anyone where he was going; he just left. If he was honest, Clay didn't even have an idea of where he was going.

 _Away._

There was an answer. A shitty one, but an answer at the very least. He traveled north. He hadn't been around there at all. Who knows? Maybe the cold air could clear his mind. Yeah, that would be good for him.

He went to Washington. The cold air didn't do much but make him shiver while he waited for the hotel he was staying at to check him in.

Why did he think the cold would be a good thing? Maybe he was just hoping for snow. Snow was pretty cool.

Later that night Clay received a phone call from Apollo.

"Where are you?"

Clay took a deep breath. "...I can't tell you."

"And why not?" Apollo was offended, which was understandable, of course.

"Fulbright wants me dead."

"What? How does that have anything to do with why you can't tell me where you are?"

"About that…" Clay explained his predicament for what felt like the millionth time.

"Clay, Fulbright can't even realize the irony in saying 'in Justice we trust' when he's working against my defense team. He can't possibly have enough foresight to orchestrate a plan that elaborate."

"He's not as dense as he presents himself to be. Isn't it obvious?!"

"You can't tell me where you are, but you can tell me all of this damning information? What am I even supposed to do with it?"

"Fulbright's going to realize that I'm gone. When he does, he's most likely going to ask you where I went."

"So you're telling me this so I don't accidentally snitch on you."

"Exactly."

"A-alright… I can do that. I think."

Clay grinned. "And that's why you're my favorite best friend!"

"I'm you're only best friend, but I appreciate the gesture." Apollo took in a deep breath. "So, I guess I should get going. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah, talk to you soon."

The next day, Clay went out to buy groceries. While he was checking out at the grocery store, someone pulled out a gun. "Nobody move or I'll shoot!"

Clay rubbed his temples. He did not have to time for this.

The robber took all of the cash from one of the registers. Some jock standing behind Clay stepped forward. "You better return that money."

The robber looked up and aimed his gun at the other man. "Oh yeah, and who's gonna make me?!"

The two men got into a back-and-forth argument until the robber's gun went off. And hit Clay right in the chest.

 _Of course it was me._

"Oh my god!" While the jock was occupied with Clay, the robber ran off. "Are you okay?"

Clay didn't respond. His mind was too busy thinking about his plan for the next cycle.

Looks like Washington was off the table.


	19. Round 19

Day By Day

Round 19

Clay tried going east. The rest of the country was over there, and maybe he could find a place with low crime rates.

Utah's rate was pretty low. So that was his next stop.

Phone call with Apollo. Cryptic warnings were uttered. Friends were made extremely confused.

The grocery store wasn't robbed this time. But when Clay made a sandwich out of some lunch meat, he got sick. So sick he couldn't get himself out of bed. His phone was at the other side of the room, and any attempt to move sent a wave of dizziness so severe Clay almost passed out.

And so he slowly withered away from a combination of sickness and dehydration, his phone ringing all the while.


	20. Round 20

Day By Day

Round 20

Clay had to go somewhere.

Where exactly? He wasn't sure yet.

How far would he go? Far enough.

Apollo called. Clay talked to him for a bit.

Starbuck ended up dead, but Clay didn't care all that much.

He went back to sleeping more than was probably healthy. But he didn't care about that, either.

Clay wasn't going to leave the hotel room. He was determined to survive this.

There was an earthquake, but he didn't leave.

The ceiling fell on top of his head.

Now he was annoyed.


	21. Round 21

Day By Day

Round 21

He went to New York.

His car crashed after the first night.


	22. Round 22

Day By Day

Round 22

Michigan.

Someone tied him up and threw him in a lake after he witnessed some type of crime he wasn't supposed to.


	23. Round 23

Day By Day

Round 23

Clay stayed in California.

Fulbright showed up at the hotel Apollo and Clay were staying at.

Clay actually felt a moderate amount of sadness when the bullet embedded itself in Apollo's skull.


	24. Round 24

Day By Day

Round 24

The tracking app was still on Apollo's phone. Clay completely forgot about it until Fulbright was in Utah.

He felt worse about raising Utah's crime rate then he did about getting his best friend brutally murdered.


	25. Round 25

Day By Day

Round 25

Apollo was alive again. Clay found that he didn't care about this as much as he used to.

" _I've become desensitized to the whole 'dying' thing."_

Guess Clay was becoming desensitized to everything, now. Great. But he still felt some urge to keep Apollo alive. Whether it be his own subconscious thoughts, or the want to keep everything as-is, he didn't know. But the desire was there, and who was Clay to deprive himself of his own wants?

Despite knowing it was probably a bad idea, Clay took everyone with him. His car was packed with luggage, and there was a fight over the passenger seat -Clay didn't let anyone have it. But other than that, it seemed like everything was going alright.

And then it started hailing and Clay drove into a lake.


	26. Round 26

Day By Day

Round 26

Screw Rah'bel and his dad. Clay would just have to hope Apollo believes him when he says they'll be burned to a crisp…

He didn't at first.

"How the hell would you know that?!"

God _damn_ Apollo's annoying when he gets loud. Clay swallowed his annoyance and said, "I was there when it happened."

"There's no way… You can't just come back from the dead."

"Yeah well I _did_. We can't go by logic anymore, Apollo. You'll just have to believe me."

"How can you possibly expect me to believe-"

Clay grabbed Apollo by his collar. The other man let out a startled cry. "Do you want to get me and my Dad killed?!"

Apollo's eyes were filled with fear. He was dangling a couple inches off the ground.

"Answer the question!"

"No!" Apollo yelled back. His fear had given way to anger. "Now put me down!"

Clay released him and sat down on his bed.

"Alright, so you've intimidated me into doing what you want me to do. What now smartass?" Apollo was glaring at Clay. He was the very definition of pissed.

"We stay put."

Apollo's eye twitched. "You're holding me captive just so we stay here?"

"Technically, I'm not. You can leave if you want."

"And what will you do if I leave?"

There was no point in hiding the truth. "I'd kill myself."

Apollo's face went slack. He didn't seem able to comprehend what his friend had just said. "What the hell."

"I'm just being honest."

"Do you have to be so blunt?"

Clay sighed. "What am I supposed to say?"

"I don't know..." Apollo just seemed drained now. "Anything except that."

"If I had said anything else, you would've left anyway, and that's not what I want."

Apollo knit his eyebrows together. "Why are you dragging me along? I don't have anything to do with any of this."

"If I don't, you'll die."

"Then why didn't you take Rah'bel with you? She wouldn't be dead right now if you had." Apollo's face was a blank mask, but Clay could hear the angry undertones in his friend's voice.

"I tried that, and we all died."

"So you sacrifice Rah'bel's life."

Clay rubbed his shoulder. "I-I mean, I guess… technically. But I wouldn't really classify it as that."

"Since you have all the answers, what would you classify it as?"

"Keeping the rest of us alive." Clay spat back. "You talk about what I'm doing as if it doesn't affect your life. Would you like to die?! If so, I'd be happy to direct you to the top of this building. You could probably reach terminal velocity at that height."

There was a knock on their door. "Excuse me?" It was the receptionist. "Could you quiet down. We're getting complaints."

Clay and Apollo looked at each other. Apollo called out, "yeah. Sorry about that."

The receptionist walked away, and the two men continued their argument.

"It's not only about me Clay. From what I'm hearing, the only reason anyone is dying is because you want to avoid the launch."

Clay narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying I have to die so someone else can live."

Apollo opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The second time around he said, "well…" He had nothing to say.

 _Apollo's right. Prosecutor Blackquill, Rah'bel, Apollo, even my own Dad have all died because of me._

Clay opened the door to their room.

"Clay, where are you going?" Apollo followed him up to the roof. His eyes widened when Clay stood at the edge of the building. "What the hell are you doing? Get down!"

"I know what I have to do Apollo!" Clay was smiling. "I'm going to make it right."

"Clay, don't take what I said to heart. I didn't mean any of that shit! You don't have to do this." Tears were forming in Apollo's eyes. "Please."

"Don't be such a downer!" Clay called back. "Everything's gonna go back to normal. I promise." He leaned back.

"No!" Apollo ran forward, but missed his friend's shirt by a few inches. Clay went falling into the darkness, his body hitting the floor with a heavy thud.


	27. Final Round

Day By Day

Final Round

Today, both Apollo and Clay left for work.

"Hey, are you doin' alright?"

God, it felt like it had been ages since he had seen Starbuck. How had he taken so much time to talk to the man he looked up to? Oh wait, he technically talked to him yesterday. Clay grinned. This time it was genuine. "I just have a case of the launch jitters. You know how it is."

Starbuck grinned. "I hear ya. I've been to space and even I still get them."

Clay talked with Aura who was still abusing Clonco. He managed to feel some semblance of sympathy for the poor robot, and patted it on the head as he left.

Director Cosmos was riding around on his segway, acting more important than he really was, but Clay didn't care. He finally felt happy, almost as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.

When he got back home, Apollo entertained him with stories of the porcelain menace and Trucy's borderline dirty magic trick. Clay laughed harder than required.

Apollo gave him a weird look which caused the other man to laugh until tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"Seriously, it wasn't that funny." Apollo had gotten his friend a glass of water. "Five minutes of laughing was _not_ necessary."

Clay kept giggling like a school girl, as Apollo shoved the glass of water in his hand.

"Good god, I don't need you dying of laughter."

Clay drank his water and slowly the laughter died down.

"Please tell me you're not going to be like this all weekend. I don't think I can handle you for that long."

Clay assured Apollo that he was done, and drank the rest of his water.

The rest of the weekend, the two lounged around. Clay wasn't afraid Fulbright was going to knock on their door. He just watched watched Netflix and counted down the hours until the fake launch.

. . .

Starbuck was slipped the drugs in his water bottle. He was beginning to feel groggy by the time they were boarding the fake rocket. "You feelin' dizzy, Clay?" His eyes were half open and it seemed like he was about to pass out.

"I'm sure you're just nervous. We're almost there."

Starbuck nodded. Once they boarded the rocket, he passed out.

 _So the bombs should go off at some-_

 _ **BOOM!**_

Clay sprung into action. He grabbed the HOPE Capsule, and Starbuck. He had to take the elevator due to all the excessive amount of cargo, but he slowly made it away from the rocket.

The lounge was dark except for the red emergency light flashing above him. Sweat was dripping down Clay's back. That short trip had taken a lot out of him.

 _This is it…_

He collapsed to the ground just as he heard a door slide open. Forcing his eyes open, Clay caught a glimpse of Fulbright. There was the instinctive urge to run away, but it quickly subsided as a knife entered his chest. His breath caught in his throat. He hadn't been stabbed in a while.

Shots rang out above him. Clay tried to turn his head but exhaustion, mixed with blood loss had turned his muscles to lead.

There were voices around him, but they were muddled together into an incomprehensible mess.

Finally his strength gave out, and his consciousness faded away.

This time, it actually felt permanent.

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck around this long. Thank you everyone who left feedback, and I hope all of you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you like this story, please make sure to follow me as I am currently working on a new Ace Attorney story. I have to first chapter written so it'll most likely be up in a day or two.**

 **Once again, thank you all so, much!**

 **-Athena :)**


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